Major Traffic Jams Test Local Driver’s Patience During Bali G20 Summit

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Despite officials in Bali confirming that everything would be done to avoid congestion on the roads during the G20, traffic jams are sometimes unavoidable. Traffic came to a complete gridlock on Tuesday evening as the G20 Gala Dinner got underway at the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park in Jimbaran. 

The gridlock was caused by G20-related road closures and long diversions around the GWK area on Jalan Raya Uluwatu, Ungasan, in South Kuta. The roads were closed as heads of state were escorted from the event in Nusa Dua to the Cultural Park in Jimbaran. The road closure came into effect as of 5.30 pm, but traffic was in gridlock until 9.30 pm, with further traffic jams building up as the congestion eased around Jalan Raya Uluwatu. 

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Despite the widespread news coverage of the G20 and related traffic issues, some drivers told reporters that they were unaware of the impact the event would have on the roads. Others simply took a wrong turn on their usual route and ended up in the middle of the roadblock. This was the case for Putu Arina Susmita, 22, who was trying to reach the T-junction on Jalan Raya Udayana Campus.

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Susmita told reporters, “The feeling is a bit annoyed because quite a waste of time. But I was also wrong because there had been warnings since morning, but instead I still left the house at a time like this”. Despite being stuck in traffic, Susmita was hopeful that the event would bring about sufficient benefit to Bali to counterbalance the frustration of traffic jams.

She said, “Hopefully the G20 Summit will run smoothly, and the results of the meeting or meetings of several tens of state officials can produce something that benefits the people. So that the sacrifices of the Balinese people at this time in particular can be paid off”.

Other drivers were frustrated and tired by the issues on the roads. Nanda Sagita Puspitasari works in Seminyak and was delayed on his commute home. He said, “I just got home from work, and now I want to go back to Jalan Teropong, Nusa Dua. Very tired because I want to rest but have to feel this traffic jam”. Yet despite having his patience-testing, Puspitasari also hoped that the traffic jams were a small price to pay for a smooth G20 Summit. 

Some drivers lost hope entirely and decided to abandon their vehicles and walk the rest of their journeys. Dewa Gede Aditya Putra, 22, tried to follow an alternative route on Jalan Wanagiri to get to his home on Jalan Raya Uluwatu, parked his scooter, and hiked homeward.

He said, “I decided to use an alternative route because it had been two hours since I got stuck in a traffic jam from the direction of Uluwatu Jimbaran. So I looked for an alternative route that didn’t have very good terrain, and then I left the motorbike and walked to the boarding house”.

The G20 Summit has been an overwhelming success for Bali so far, with no major operational hiccups. However, police have arrested a further seven people for attempting to protest. A group of college students was arrested on Tuesday afternoon for holding protest banners at a public demonstration on Jalan Sudirman in Denpasar. 

The group held up signs that translated to read ‘G20 Makes Bali Complicated, G20 Is Not A Solution. The Head of the Bali Province, Satpol PP I Dewa Nyoman Rai Dharmadi, confirmed the arrest to local reporters.

He explained We took one to the hospital because of the fever he was shivering, it was raining, we delivered it and took it until it was finished being treated, and we even took [him] home…Because this must be reported, the G20 Summit event is careful not to be ridiculed and also not to be counterproductive from some communities on behalf of Nak Bali…As far as I know, Nak Bali really appreciates the G20 activities. That’s why we got reports from the public because of objections to the action”.