Rainy Season And Roadworks – Tourists Warned Bali Road Travel Will Worsen

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Bali’s traffic issues are no secret, but as the rainy season approaches and new major road development projects get underway on the island, leaders are voicing their conners that things could be about to get worse long before they get better.

Once upon a time, Bali’s tourism traffic was concentrated just along Jalan Sunset in Kuta, with occasional congestion in Ubud or around the airport.

Fast forward to August 2024, and the island is experiencing gridlock traffic in multiple locations throughout the day.

From the center of Denpasar through to Canggu, from Jimbaran to Uluwatu, and from Ubud to Kintamani, tourism traffic is a serious issue that leaders are struggling to overcome.

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In a press interview, the Head of the Ballad Transportation Organisation, Nyoman Arthaya Sena, said that traffic jams in Bali have become a ‘classic’ problem and that the core reason why is also what makes it an issue that is so difficult to deal with.

The issue is that there are simply too many vehicles on the roads and that as more people buy vehicles in order to operate their businesses, mostly in the tourism sector, the problem is only going to get worse. 

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As Bali’s tourism and tourism development sector has boomed, the island’s supporting infrastructure has not been able to keep up.

With narrow village streets now trying to cope with highway volumes of traffic, there are bottlenecks left, right, and center. Sena feels that at this stage, even if proper traffic engineering systems were put in place, such as more traffic lights, strategic one-way systems, and roundabouts, the issues would still not be resolved quickly.

Sena feels that one supporting solution to the problem is to limit the hours heavy goods vehicles and trucks can use the roads, especially when entering tourism resorts and the city center.

He noted that in order for limited hours to be introduced, there would have to be increased parking availability outside of these resorts and in the city center.

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Sena explained, “This has to be thought of together, making a parking center for the cargo parking terminal at the border because to enter the city, it must be arranged so as not to use vehicles with excessive tonnage.”

In addition to the sheer volume of vehicles on Bali’s roads, the increasing number of trucks and heavy goods vehicles is slowing down traffic flow further and putting more pressure on already crumbling roads, causing potholes and existing damage to worsen. 

Sena was clear, however, that it is the volume of people-carrier-style vehicles that also contributes to the problem of congestion. He noted that as the rainy season gets underway, more tourists will be traveling by car rather than mopping to avoid the downpours. 

Sena’s idea to control the hours in which trucks can enter and exit certain resorts and areas of the city will come a step forward for many, but those in the construction industry will surely disapprove.

Limiting the truck’s access to their pick-up and drop-off locations would mean that logistics companies would have to completely reassess their operations.

It would also require more law enforcement and the presence of more traffic officers in strategic areas. 

As the conversation regarding Bali’s traffic congestion rumbles, tourists in Bali are reminded that traffic police are conducting spot checks in and around the island’s top resorts.

The spot checks are to assess whether vehicles are roadworthy and legal and to check insurance papers and driving licenses.

Police are also looking out for drivers who are violating traffic laws in all ways, such as not wearing a helmet, speeding, or not wearing suitable clothing to drive a motorcycle.

The spot checks have been carried out in the Canggu area and will be carried out again over the next few weeks across the North Kuta area.