Bali To Ban Motorbike Rental for Foreigners

TheIndonesia.co - Bali is planning to halt foreign tourists from renting motorbikes following misbehaving traffic violations. Bali's regulation encouraged visitors to act in an orderly manner by using tourist transport services. In other words, foreigners ought to travel in cars provided by travel agents. 

Bali Tourist Office Head, Tjok Bagus Pemayun said motorbikes do not classify as tourist vehicles.

"We have spoken with the transport office, the two-wheelers or motorcycles are not tourist vehicles. We hope to make sure that these tourists are safe when traveling in Bali," Tjok said at a Tourism Ministry press conference on Monday. 

Tjok said that the office planned to discuss the following regulation with the Bali office. He added that the provincial government was currently focusing on putting things back in order for quality tourism. 

Following the proposed ban, Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno called for a comprehensive study on the said policy as motorbike rentals play a huge role in the economy. Sandiaga admitted that the proposed ban also sparked a debate among the public.

"Motorbike rentals open up many business opportunities, and also help generate jobs. We must ensure the continuity of the local economy, while also upholding the traffic rules and the safety of the motorbike riders," the minister said. 

The Bali police said on Sunday that they had caught more than 171 traffic violations by foreign tourists within just a week. These foreign tourists mostly didn't use a helmet and used fake license plates.

According to government reports, Bali attracted 2.3 million foreign tourists last year. Bali has set a goal to welcome 4.5 million foreign travelers 2in 2023.