Bali bans foreign tourists from rental vehicles, and those who want to do so must go through a proper and licensed travel agent. Foreign tourists are also forbidden from borrowing vehicles from locals since several disrespectful incidents have occurred.
The Governor of Bali conveyed this latest announcement, I Wayan Koster, at a press conference for the Ministry of Law and Human Rights of Bali Province, Denpasar, on Sunday, March 12, 2023.
Bali Bans Foreign Tourists from Rental Vehicles
This rule is regulated in the Bali Governor Regulation (Pergub) regarding tourism governance in the province, including a ban on foreign nationals from using motorbikes. The Provincial Government said I Wayan Koster already has several regulations governing foreign nationals living on the Island of the Gods.
“So tourists (foreigners) have to travel by road using cars from travel agents. Using vehicles that are not from travel agents is no longer allowed. Borrowing or renting is no longer allowed,” said I Wayan Koster, quoted from Antara, on Monday, March 13, 2023.
According to him, this policy can only be implemented in 2023 because there were no tourist visits to Bali in the previous year due to the pandemic. “Why now? Because we are currently cleaning up because we didn’t apply it during the pandemic because there weren’t any tourists. Now it’s starting to be arranged,” he said.
Based on the results of the prosecution by the Bali Police, it was found that many tourists, especially foreign tourists, violated traffic rules, from not wearing clothes while driving and not wearing a helmet to not having a license to drive.
Because of unruly tourist riders, all foreign tourists will no longer be allowed to use motorcycles to get around the island after a string of accidents led to injuries and even deaths.
“They’re disorderly and misbehaved,” said Governor Wayan Koster. From here on, foreigners should only use modes of transport prepared by tourism services that meet specific standards “to ensure quality and dignified tourism,” he added.
It’s unclear how the ban would be upheld. Koster has sought the legal ministry’s support to let Bali revoke visas if any foreign tourists are found riding motorbikes or if they’re found committing other wrongdoings like illegally working or misusing stay permits.
The holiday destination has been marred by motorcycle accidents recently. Last month, a Russian tourist was detained by the police after riding while under the influence of alcohol and crashing into a local rider, causing him to be hospitalized. In January, a Ukrainian and Russian tourist died in a traffic collision.
And in early March 2023, an Australian woman was deported from Bali after arguing with local police officers for not wearing a helmet on her scooter. She claimed she had lived there for 23 years.
Conclusion to Bali Bans Foreign Tourists from Rental Vehicles
Furthermore, he said foreign tourists who violate the rules in Bali would be dealt with firmly. The monitoring team comes from the Provincial Government in coordination with the police and the Bali Ministry of Law and Human Rights.
This has come to a point where things are getting out of hand, and thanks to illiterate tourists who do not respect other cultures, there is no choice as Bali Bans foreign tourists from rental vehicles. I fully support this to teach tourists a hard lesson.