Bali has had enough of unruly riders. Foreign tourists won't 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 they misbehave," said Governor Wayan Koster on Monday. From here on, foreigners should only use modes of transport prepared by tourism services that meet certain standards "to ensure quality and dignified tourism," he added.
Authorities also asked the central immigration agency to cancel a visa-on-arrival policy for certain nations after tourists were found working illegally.
It's unclear how the ban on renting scooters 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 tourist and a Russian visitor died in a road traffic collision.
A spokesperson for Indonesia's immigration agency, which is under the law ministry, declined to comment, while the embassies of Russia and Ukraine in Jakarta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Indonesia allows nationals of certain countries to apply for a visa upon landing in the country, while others have to apply before departure.
About 8,800 Ukrainian visitors arrived between September 2022 and January 2023.
Known for its beaches, temples, waterfalls and nightlife, Bali drew 6.2 million foreign visitors in 2019, the year before the pandemic.
