[De Tom]

I just read a statement from AHM Indonesia, Astra Honda Motor, that their sales of scooters have risen to between 10.000 - 15.000 scooters PER MONTH in Bali. As if there wasn't enough motorbikes and cars on the roads already? There are no limits or restrictions to how many vehicles that can be on the road in Bali. This will certainly turn into a severe problem in the future with more traffic congestion and pollution if nothing is done about it. Making more and wider roads is not the solution. Restricting the number of vehicles on the roads and creating an efficient public transportation system is what we need. Some say the problem is related to no viable public transport and that it has become too expensive. Bali is in urgent need of cheap low-emission PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, possibly small buses like the 'Bemo' we see now, but newer and with higher environmental standards. If the government cannot support this or have the funds for it could it be possible for a private investor to endeavour into this field without getting into trouble with the current Bemo drivers or legal restrictions? Most people will pay up to 5.000 rupiah per ride which is quite reasonable for a business that saves the environment and creates jobs at the same time.

Another more frightening statistic comes from POLDA Bali or the Regional Bali Police who state that there are THREE DEATHS on the roads in / around Bali EVERY DAY. Bali is in urgent need of SERIOUS mature driving safety training before handing out drivers licenses, better infrastructure, more red lights, more road lines between lanes, reflexes between lanes or on poles along the sides, active police posts and a firm efficient police force who can enforce laws and regulations EVERY DAY along the streets. The police need to keep a GOOD eye on vehicles coming in from neighbouring islands as well and how they drive here. There are too many reckless drivers here and they're not limited to one group. Trucks, Buses, Bemos, Scooters, Motorcycles, Cars... all categories of motorized vehicles. Something also needed is SPEEDLIMITS on certain roads and areas. Currently there are NO SPEEDLIMITS on the roads in Bali. The current regulations approve of people speeding and driving reckless so i'm not surprised, though horrified, that 3 human beings die in traffic every day in Bali.

[De Tom]

An update to the Public transportation problem. I read just yesterday that the provincial government or Badung regency are working to get a public transportation system going and the financing is already under way. They estimate that the organized system of bus-stops and buses for the fare of 3.000rp per ride will stand ready in 2014. I believe they mentioned that at the moment only 3% of Bali's 3.5 million population use public transportation.

[Ubudian]

In busy areas, I guess buses make sense, but for me, a bemo is the ultimate Bali source of public transportation especially in the early morning with all the "Ibu warung" coming back from the pasar totally loaded up with their fresh produce, chickens, ducks and whatever they hope to sell that day in the village to those who didn't have to get up at 4 AM.

Recently asked by someone on the Virtual Tourist web site what I thought would be the ultimate “off the beaten track” exploration of Bali, I wrote back that in my mind it would be a one month excursion of Bali, and all its nooks and crannies by bemo. Forget about Eat, Pray, Love, this would be, Pay, Cough, Live.

[De Tom]

I'm not sure if it was Bemo type vehicles or Buses. Might've been Bemo's they planned, but possibly bigger than the current ones.

I like the expression Pay, Cough, Live though..

[anna]

Interesting statistics Tompa. I agree that traffic congestion is one MAJOR problem in Bali!! I think public transport is a great idea as well as regulating the number of vehicles/bikes per household. I also think the government or auto dealerships should implement a program to offer people a small money sum to turn in their old, outdated or even unused cars/bikes to recycle them.

I think speed limits would help, reflectors on the roads, age limits for drivers and also more turning lanes (or educate people to actually pull their vehicle all the way into the turning lane to turn instead of taking up two lanes and causing traffic to get backed up).

Like I mentioned a few months ago in a post that when I was pregnant we were almost forced into the wall median in the middle of the bypass by a work truck speeding like crazy and coming all the way over into our lane without giving a care about the bikes that were already in that lane. I can't decide if some drivers are crazy, don't pay attention to those around them or just don't care...and this goes for young people, adults, locals, tourists, everyone!

[De Tom]

true that... many truck and bus drivers are insane. They have the biggest vehicles on the road and everyone have to get out of their way willingly or not. It's amazing how a vehicle can work as an extension of some peoples egos. The bigger the vehicle the bigger the ego and the less important are us tiny people on scooters. This does not go for all bus and truck drivers but i'll be damned if not at least 30% of all truck and bus drivers are full of themselves and partially insane while driving.