Getting stranded in Bali may not be the worst thing but Melbourne-based Rome2rio has started an information page to help travellers get out of the island by means other than flights while the airport in Bali remains closed due to the active eruptions of Mt Agung.
Chairman Rod Cuthbert said, “We noticed during the last couple of Ash Cloud incidents that we had a spike in usage; we’ve also seen the same thing around strikes and transport stoppages generally. So this time we thought “Why not create a public service initiative around the comprehensive data we already have on ground transport options?
“We know that when airports are closed overseas, travelers really need help — the interviews we see on TV, with people stranded at the airport and wanting to get home for work or school or a wedding or whatever it is, really bring home how hard it is to get good information on what your options are when you are away from home.”
The page gives regular updates on the situation, gives tips on what to do if your flight is cancelled and how to get home, sharing ferry, bus and train information.
It’s a timely move for the company to remind travellers that there are numerous transport options beyond flights and for the multi-modal site that wants to build itself as the global brand from A to B, with everything in between, an incident such as this is an opportunity for it to press home the point and also be useful to travellers.
The objective is simple, said Cuthbert. “We want to provide a single page where people can find answers to the questions they’re asking: alternative transport options, updates on news about the ash cloud, information about travel insurance, what the airlines are saying… all the important stuff. And to keep it updated each day until the crisis fades.”
He added, “Situations like this remind us of how important surface transport options can be… ferry, bus, taxi can get you to Surabaya and then you’re OK! Wherever you are in the world, there’s always another way…”
