Bali Traffic Police Targeting ‘Naughty’ Foreign Drivers During Road Safety Campaign

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Bali Traffic Police’s ‘The Great Safety Operation 2023’ is well underway. The campaign launched on 7th February and will run until the 20th of the month. The campaign is targeted at increasing road safety and involves increased traffic police stops in Bali’s leading tourist destinations. The campaign started in Sanur, with traffic officers targeting ‘naughty’ foreign drivers who disobey the laws of the road. 

Traffic police have told reporters of three recurring violations they are encountering with foreign drivers. The first is violating the basic traffic rules, followed by not wearing a helmet and not carrying an international driving license on them. The campaign is designed to have a positive effect on road safety in Bali, reducing the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities on the road. 

The authorities have confirmed that so far, drivers who have been pulled over have not been issued with tickets or fines but rather have been given verbal warnings to obey the law. They shared the example of one foreign driver who was pulled over for not wearing a helmet; he was advised to return to his accommodation to collect and wear his safety equipment before driving onwards. 

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The Head of South Denpasar Police, Kompol Made Teja Dwi Permana, told reporters, “It is hoped that through the Great Safety Operation in 2023, it can increase public awareness and compliance in traffic so that it can reduce the number of violations and traffic jams.” He also confirmed that no tickets had been issued since fines cannot be issued manually anymore and are all processed digitally. 

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The issue of road safety and foreign drivers in Bali is a hot topic at the moment. The spokesman for Bali Police, Chief Stefan Satake Bayu Setianto, recently issued a statement calling on all parties to take more responsibility for road safety. He not only called on tourists in Bali to hire local drivers or make sure they have an international driving license but also called on moped rental owners to do their due diligence. 

In his statement issued on 16th January, Chief Setianto explained, “For tourists in Bali, if you want to use a motorbike or car rental service, the most important requirement is to [know] the vehicle and have an official license. If necessary, [hire] the driver is from a Bali…It will be easier if the local driver is driving their vehicle, those who know the Bali area.”

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In another statement issued just days later, Chief Setianto turned his attention to local business owners who rent vehicles to tourists. He said, “We urge rental owners, both cars and motorbikes in all jurisdictions of the Bali Police, before renting vehicles to foreign and local tourists, to be reminded when driving that they must have a [license] and comply with applicable traffic rules.“

It is not just in coastal areas like Canggu, Sanur, and Kuta that traffic police will be cracking down on foreigners violating the rules of the road. Police in Gianyar Regency, home to the artistic capital of the island Ubud, have said they are taking firmer action against violations on the road. 

On 29th January, the Deputy Chief of Police for Gianyar, Kompol Marzel Doni, said his teams will meet with moped rental businesses to establish clearer structures for renting bikes to tourists. He stated, “We will definitely summon the rental owners. We will gather here for a meeting to return to them and the MoU to be firm. Those who have vehicle rentals must comply with what is regulated by law.” 

From traffic violations to illegal parking, Gianyar Police are having serious conversations about the implications of vehicles in central Ubud. On Wednesday, 8th February the Gianyar Police Traffic Unit held a community meeting to discuss the problem of parking in Ubud. The meeting was attended by Ubud’s traditional leaders and community stakeholders. They agreed they would conduct monitoring in view of a complete overhaul of the traffic system in central Ubud in the near future.