Bali Police Work To Make Popular Tourist Resort More Pedestrian Friendly 

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Bali’s cultural capital of Ubud is an iconic tourist destination, filled to the brim with incredible historical landmarks, world-class cafes, and markets overflowing with trinkets and other goodies to take home.

Yet for years, it has been noted by tourists that the town is increasingly difficult to navigate on foot. 

Bali Police have been working with the Civil Service (Satpol PP) and the community to help find solutions that work for everyone.

There are many reasons why Ubud is a tricky town to navigate on foot. For one, many of the sidewalks are damaged, incomplete, or in many patches non-existent; then there is the issue of illegally parked motorcycles blocking the pavements. This is an issue that the authorities have been working on for several months now. 

This week, the authorities worked with the community to help address homelessness and the number of traders setting up stalls on the sidewalk rather than in the dedicated Ubud Market space. 

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Anyone who has visited Bali will have seen for themselves the situation regarding homeless mothers and young children on the streets of resort areas.

Some of the vulnerable women and children are entangled in nefarious situations, and others are experiencing joblessness and homelessness.

Either way, they are in a position where they have little choice but to beg for money from tourists. 

Officers from Satpol PP confirmed that in a joint operation with Ginayar Regency Police, eleven individuals involved in street begging in Ubud were brought into the custody of the authorities this week. Five adults were arrested, and the six children were handed over to social services. 

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The Head of the Gianyar Regency Police, I Made Watha, told reporters on Thursday afternoon, “After being handed over to social services it is hoped that the group which is dominated by children, will be able to return to education and no longer roam the streets as beggars.”

In a separate operation, officers from the police and civil service have this week been taking action against traders who have been illegally setting up stalls along the sidewalk on Jalan Raya Ubud, the tourist resort’s main high street. 

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Speaking after the control operation was complete Watha explained, “We want to keep Ubud truly beautiful because Ubud is a favorite destination for domestic and foreign tourists.”

When asked about what actions were taken against the local traders who were trying to sell fruit and vegetables to tourists passing by, Watha explained that no legal action had been taken. 

He explained, “We took some of the merchandise for safekeeping and gave them a strong warning. We summoned the traders who have been recorded to come to the Satpol PP Office to be given guidance so that they would not repeat their actions.”

This is all part of a bigger move to ensure that Ubud and the other leading tourist destinations in Bali are all organized and presentable for tourists and local communities. 

Officers from Satpol PP across Bali have been working this week to remove dozens of outdated and, in some instances, illegally installed billboards. The billboards range from everything from tourism promotions to election campaigning.

Billboards have been removed due to their old and unsightly nature, spoiling the landscape for both locals and tourists.

In Badung Regency, officers removed over 110 billboards, banners, and posters across leading tourist destinations.

In Kuta 16 billboards and 24 banners were removed, in North Kuta around the Canggu area, 19 billboards and 3 banners were taken down too. 

The majority of the materials removed were illegally positioned political campaigning posters.

Indonesian law states that these kinds of billboards cannot be placed in schools, places of worship, or public facilities.

As the 2024 elections approach, tourists can expect to see and hear more about the political situation in Bali and across Indonesia during their visit.

Formal campaigning has yet to start, and when it does, there is no reason why tourists should make any changes or considerations to their travel plans as a result of the upcoming elections.