Here at The Bali Sun, we had hoped to report that major changes are coming into effect to help reduce traffic congestion in Canggu.
We’ve been keeping an eye on updates from the Badung Transportation Agency, which, in early June, suggested that major upgrades were on the cards, but news this week says that plans have already been hampered.
You don’t even have to have visited Bali to be aware that traffic in Canggu is chaotic. Bali’s issues with traffic congestion are longstanding and low-key worsening.
In areas like Badung Regency, which is home to top destinations such as Canggu, Seminyak, and Uluwatu, there are several reasons for this. Firstly, the sheer volume of vehicles on the road; there are 500,000 official residents of Badung Regency, and more than one million registered vehicles.
Then there is the rapid development and commercialization of rural areas, coupled with narrow roads that were never designed to support such huge volumes of traffic.
Speaking to reporters this week, the Head of the Badung Transportation Agency, AA Ngurah Gde Rahmadi, confirmed that his teams and the Badung Police have been discussing traffic engineering plans in Canggu for some time. However, preliminary studies indicate that the available options remain limited.
A new traffic engineering system has just been implemented for a 14-day trial in Uluwatu. Leaders suggested that if the trial on the Bukit was a success, the new system would be implemented permanently, and that a similar system would be rolled out in Canggu.
Unfortunately for both tourists and locals who want to whizz around Canggu with ease, this may still be a long way off.
Rahmadi told reporters, “We’ve discussed possible traffic engineering schemes with the Badung Police. However, conditions on the ground are indeed challenging because the roads in the Canggu area are nearly the same width and are all heavily trafficked.”
He explained how these narrow roads, in particular, make implementing a one-way system or diverting traffic flow very difficult.
The issue is that every alternative route is already congested with vehicles, especially during rush hour and the tourist season. Gridlock upon gridlock upon gridlock.
Rahmadi confirmed to reporters, however, that despite this challenging situation, the Badung Transportation Agency continues to seek solutions.
A number of different options are still being reviewed with stakeholders to find an effective solution without creating new problems on other roads.
He told reporters, “We, along with relevant stakeholders, continue to seek the best solution. Congestion in Canggu cannot be tolerated, as the area is a highly populated tourist hub.”
Rahmadi was clear that managing traffic congestion in Canggu requires collaboration between multiple agencies as well as drivers. He noted how the police play a crucial role in enforcing the law when traffic engineering is implemented.
He concluded by voicing his hopes that the collaborative steps being prepared can produce short-term and long-term solutions to reduce traffic congestion in Canggu.
He shared, “We continue to coordinate with the police, as they are the spearhead of enforcement on the ground. Meanwhile, we at the Transportation Agency are preparing a technical study and supporting the implementation of traffic engineering, which will be mutually agreed upon.”
As the peak travel season kicks off in Bali, here at The Bali Sun, we are already seeing traffic congestion in popular hotspots like Canggu intensify.
Our advice for tourists visiting congestion-prone areas like Canggu, Seminyak, Legian, Uluwatu, and Ubud is to simply leave more than enough time to travel from A to B…and we really mean more time than you think.
A simple 5km journey should only take 10-15 minutes even in moderate traffic, but at peak congestion times, it can take over an hour.
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HP
Monday 15th of June 2026
The traffic situation in Canggu has reached a critical point and requires long-term planning rather than short-term fixes. The area has experienced extraordinary growth, yet the road infrastructure has not kept pace with development.
The government needs to develop a comprehensive transport and infrastructure strategy, not only for Canggu but also for other rapidly growing areas in Bali. This may require land acquisition for the creation of new connecting roads and alternative traffic routes. At present, too much traffic is funnelled through a limited number of roads leading towards the coast, creating severe bottlenecks and daily congestion.
Consideration should be given to engaging international traffic planning and traffic-flow specialists who have experience managing growth in high-density tourism destinations. Their expertise could help identify practical solutions, including new road connections, improved traffic circulation, and future-proof planning.
Heavy vehicles and large trucks also contribute significantly to congestion. Restrictions on truck movements during peak hours should be considered, allowing deliveries only during designated times of the day. In addition, stricter controls on oversized commercial vehicles operating on narrow local roads could improve traffic flow and safety.
Canggu is one of Bali’s most important tourism and residential hubs. Without decisive action and forward-thinking infrastructure planning, traffic congestion will continue to worsen, affecting residents, visitors, local businesses, and the overall quality of life. The time has come to plan not just for today’s needs, but for Bali’s future growth.
Exp
Tuesday 16th of June 2026
@HP, All good points, but sounds like you are new to Indonesia and Bali? Land acquisition is virtually impossible due to age old customs and the fact that land prices are batshit crazy in these tourist zones and there is no way these local xenophobes will hire international experts for anything -- and if they did they would not pay them. They only really warm to foreigners when foreigners bring money.
Not my words, here latest evidence:
"Samvada Asia – a leading international consultant on public infrastructure projects – is suing the consortium named to lead the badly-needed Bali Subway Project (MRT BALI) – PT Bumi Indah Prima (BIP) due to failed payments, confirming a growing concern that the MRT Project has stalled and its future is now in grave doubt."
arthur
Monday 15th of June 2026
@HP, impossible there is no Bali government but only a Banjar government. the government of the ego.
Tom
Sunday 14th of June 2026
There are too many tourists. Greed is killing Bali, sadly.
Donewiththis
Tuesday 16th of June 2026
Wait for kedungu upcoming mess...
S Tran
Sunday 14th of June 2026
Whoever is responsible for the changes to traffic flow in Kerobokan should be ashamed. All that it has achieved is pushing the majority of vehicles onto smaller roads that cannot accommodate the increased volume of traffic. The senseless one way system simply keeps vehicles on the road longer, making what should be a 500 meter journey, up to 8 kilometres. This is impacting ojek drivers, shop owners and increased pollution from idling vehicles. Someone will also be killed, as motorcyclists drive the wrong way down one way roads as a shortcut. The whole system is an absolute joke and the reason I am moving out of the area.
Cable guy
Monday 15th of June 2026
@S Tran, And if the paths were to be used only for their designated purpose it would be a whole lot worse! Most of the tourist areas are practically not safe to walk particularly if you are a litrle older. Bali is a mess literally and figuratively.
Chrisp
Sunday 14th of June 2026
Surprise, surprise, Canggu is a dog's breakfast, and your figures on the number of vehicles are false, as there are more vehicles than you state, with local tourists flooding Bali from Java and bringing all their vehicles to the island. There are around 8 million of them, and you wonder why traffic is a disaster. It is going to take years to improve it, and there is every likelihood it will never be achieved. Ulawatu is already on the same path of chaos.
Steve bmi
Sunday 14th of June 2026
It's already tried in canggu last few weeks it was always going to be a failure. And lokas openly remove and put gaps in the barriers to go through