Bali desires to outlaw vacationers from using motorbikes as a result of they’re “roaming round with motorbikes, with out carrying T-shirts and garments, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules],” in response to the federal government.
Based on Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, vacationers would solely be permitted to hire automobiles by journey companies or regional tourism companies.
It occurs within the midst of a backlash towards guests using bikes on the island, the place police allege that greater than 171 overseas nationals disobeyed site visitors guidelines over the course of two weeks in late February to early March. Based on authorities, some vacationers even have pretend license plates.
“If you’re a vacationer, then act like a vacationer,” the governor stated throughout a press convention this week.
He added that vacationers are “disorderly and so they misbehave” and guarantee that the ban would assist to “guarantee high quality and dignified tourism.”
“[Tourists should] use the autos ready by journey brokers, as a substitute of roaming round with bikes, with out carrying T-shirts and garments, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules], and even with no license,” he stated.
Putu Jayan Danu Putra, the Inspector Basic of Police and Chief of Bali Regional Police, burdened the significance of vacationers obeying the legislation when renting automobiles.
“We offer training to rental autos that might be rented out to foreigners to all the time adjust to present site visitors guidelines,” he defined.
In recent times, social media has more and more shared tales and movies about overseas vacationers violating site visitors guidelines in Bali. This features a video of a Russian Instagramer who carried out a stunt by flying off a jetty on his bike in 2020. Additionally, a video of an Australian lady yelling at police after being pulled over for using a bike with no helmet went viral.
There have additionally been deaths. After allegedly visiting a nightclub within the Legian space, 36-year-old Englishman Michael Andrew was discovered useless in a swamp together with his scooter in April. Nevertheless, there is no such thing as a proof that he had damaged any legal guidelines earlier than his loss of life; as a substitute, he’s believed to have died in a automobile accident.
Most not too long ago, in January of this 12 months, a Russian vacationer who was apparently driving drunk was killed in a collision with an area, and a Ukrainian vacationer died after shedding management of his bike.
Based on the Ngurah Rai Immigration Division, the island’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai Worldwide Airport (DPS) obtained greater than 2.1 million guests in 2018 in comparison with 6.2 million in 2019. Though this seems to be a small fraction of pre-pandemic ranges, it’s a vital improve over the 34 guests who got here to the island in 2021.
