Bali desires to outlaw vacationers from driving motorbikes as a result of they’re “roaming around with motorbikes, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules],” in response to the federal government.
According to Bali Governor I Wayan Koster, vacationers would solely be permitted to hire automobiles by way of journey businesses or regional tourism companies.
It occurs within the midst of a backlash in opposition to guests driving bikes on the island, the place police allege that greater than 171 overseas nationals disobeyed visitors guidelines over the course of two weeks in late February to early March. According to authorities, some vacationers even have faux license plates.
“If you are a tourist, then act like a tourist,” the governor stated throughout a press convention this week.
He added that vacationers are “disorderly and they misbehave” and guarantee that the ban would assist to “ensure quality and dignified tourism.”
“[Tourists should] use the vehicles prepared by travel agents, instead of roaming around with motorcycles, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules], and even without a license,” he stated.
Putu Jayan Danu Putra, the Inspector General of Police and Chief of Bali Regional Police, confused the significance of vacationers obeying the legislation when renting automobiles.
“We provide education to rental vehicles that will be rented out to foreigners to always comply with existing traffic rules,” he defined.
In current years, social media has more and more shared tales and movies about overseas vacationers violating visitors guidelines in Bali. This features a video of a Russian Instagramer who carried out a stunt by flying off a jetty on his motorbike in 2020. Also, a video of an Australian lady yelling at police after being pulled over for driving a bike and not using a 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 lifeless in a swamp along with his scooter in April. However, there is no such thing as a proof that he had damaged any legal guidelines earlier than his dying; as a substitute, he’s believed to have died in a automotive 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 a neighborhood, and a Ukrainian vacationer died after dropping management of his motorbike.
According to the Ngurah Rai Immigration Department, the island’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS) acquired greater than 2.1 million guests in 2018 in comparison with 6.2 million in 2019. Although this seems to be a small fraction of pre-pandemic ranges, it’s a vital enhance over the 34 guests who got here to the island in 2021.