The popular Indonesian destination of Bali is lobbying to ban tourists from hiring motorbikes after a spate of infringements by foreign visitors.
From failing to wear helmets, fake number plates and driving under the influence, Bali wants international visitors to rent cars instead.
‘So the tourists have to travel using cars from travel agents,’ Bali’s governor, Wayan Koster, said. ‘They are no longer allowed to use motorbikes or anything that is not from a travel agent,’ he told ABC.
But business operators warn that this blanket approach could warn the region’s tourism economy. ‘To be frank, this issue was caused by a handful of people or just one or two tourists, so I don’t think you can force this regulation on everyone and assume everyone’s broken the rules,’ said Agustinus Winjaya, who runs a scooter rental service.
Tourism contributes to 60% of Bali’s Gross domestic product, with tourists warning that they’ll not be returning to the island again if scooters are banned. ‘Some of my best memories are of riding scooters around Bali,’ one Twitter user commented.
Picture: Getty Images
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