Bali Has Started Spot Check Drug Tests On Tourism Drivers

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Bali has introduced spot-check drug tests on tourist drivers at top tourist attractions on the island.

The first spot checks were conducted on Friday, April 19th. 

The spot checks are part of a wider mission to crack down on the use of drugs and tourist service providers driving and conducting work activities under the influence.

The Gianyar Regency National Narcotics Agency (BNNK), Bali, held a spot-check drug urine test program on Friday in the parking lot of the Goa Gajah tourist attraction, Bedulu Village.

The BNNK has said that the spot checks are “not designed to legally ensure people whose urine tests posit for narcotics” but rather to ensure that Gianyar Regency is a drug-free area. 

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The Head of the Gianyar BNNK, AKBP I Gusti Agung Alit Adnyana, said that the operation was in support of the Prevention and Eradication, Abuse and Illicit Drug Trafficking (P4GN) Program as well as creating a smooth and safe Eid vacation period.

AKBP Adnyana told reporters, “To ensure this, it is necessary to carry out early detection urine tests for crew members of land, sea, and air transportation modes. Directed to BNNP and BNNK/City to carry out early detection urine testing activities in their respective areas, especially those that are potentially prone to drug abuse. “

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 He continued, “This urine testing activity is a form of non-prejudicial early detection for purposes outside the legal process. This early detection is carried out to determine whether or not there are narcotics in a person’s body in order to make the Gianyar area free from narcotics abuse and illicit trafficking.”

On Friday, ten tourist drivers were selected at random from urine drug tests, and all ten samples returned negative. The police used 7-parameter rapid tests. 

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This is all part of an island-wide mission to ensure that the tourism sector is providing safe, reliable, and legally operating taxis and transportation services.

In the last few months, there has been a small but significant rise in the number of reports of online taxi drivers and tourism taxi drivers behaving disrespectfully and aggressively towards tourists.

This has ranged from extorting huge fares from tourists to predatory behavior. 

The online taxi service provider Grab have partnered with the Bali Tourism Office to conduct a series of training workshops for drivers.

While many private tourism taxi drivers have experience in the hospitality sector, many Grab and GoJek drivers take on the work for the money and drive a wide range of passengers. For many, working as a Grab driver is the first time they have worked directly with tourists.

After the first training workshop for Grab drivers held in March, the Head of the Bali Tourism Department, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, told reporters that this hospitality training will help boost the public image of taxi drivers in Bali and help keep both drivers and tourists safe and enjoying life on the island. 

Pemayun told reporters, “Grab is actually the front guard in providing an image of Bali tourism that is culture-based, quality, sustainable, and dignified.”

He explained how drivers must develop a ‘tourism-conscious spirit’ and take their role as tourism service providers seriously and professionally.

The training session included sessions titled ‘The Role of Drivers in the Tourism Industry,’ ‘Ethical Standards for Tourism Services,’ and ‘Anti-Sexual Violence Training.’ 

Neither the Gianyar BNKK nor the Bali BNN have announced any further spot-check drug tests, but tourists in Bali are reminded that Indonesia has one of the toughest anti-narcotics policies in the world. There is a zero-tolerance policy on drugs throughout Indonesia.

While marijuana has been legalized in Thailand and tourists are easily able to purchase THC and CBD products over the counter, these should never be bought in Indonesia and must be used up or correctly disposed of in Thailand before heading to the airport to travel to Indonesia, even if only for transit.