Illustrative image. (Photo: tempo.co) Jakarta (VNA) – The administration of the popularIndonesian resort island of Bali is planning to prohibit foreign tourists fromrenting motorbikes following a series of traffic violations by misbehavingvisitors posted on social networks.
Speaking at a press conference on March 13, Bali Tourism Office's head Tjok Bagus Pemayun said that the Bali Governor's 2020 regulationson tourism encouraged visitors to act in an orderly manner by using tourist transportservices which are provided by travel agencies. Therefore, motorbikes do not classify astourist vehicles.
The official said the office plans to discuss the matterwith Bali police, adding that the local administration is focusing onputting things back in order to ensure the quality of tourism.
For his part, Minister of Tourism Sandiaga Uno called for a comprehensivestudy on the above-mentioned policy as motorbike rentals play a role in theeconomy. He admitted that the proposed ban also sparked a debate among thepublic, with some in favour of prohibiting foreigners from rentingmotorbikes.
The Bali police said on March 12 that they had recorded morethan 171 traffic violations by foreign tourists within a week. Most of them did not wear helmets and used fake licence plates.
Accordingto government reports, Bali attracted 2.3 million foreign tourists last year.The island has set a goal to welcome 4.5 million foreign travelers this year./.
