Crackdowns are coming for Bali’s top tourist activity

With road fatalities on the rise, tourists are being urged to follow the rules when it comes to renting scooters in Bali.

Travel in Bali is synonymous with whizzing around on a scooter through picturesque rice paddies, worries aside and the wind in your hair. Thousands of scooters are rented out to tourists each year, but many don’t realise that they may be breaking the law.

Balinese officials are cracking down on tourists renting scooters without proper licensing.

Despite their ubiquity, not just anyone can legally rent a scooter in Bali. Riders need an International Driving Permit (IDP), which must correspond to the class of vehicle you’re renting. For instance, an Australian driver’s license only permits holders to ride scooters in Queensland, SA the NT, and WA. Outside of these areas, you need specific motorcycle training and a separate license class to legally operate a scooter.

A staggering number of tourists are riding scooters without insurance or the correct license. (Image: Getty/lechatnoir)

A recent three-day ‘no mercy’ crackdown on illegal moped activity in Bali found an overwhelming number of tourists riding scooters without insurance, without a helmet, or without any license at all. While much of the bad road behaviour is perpetuated by tourists, the crackdown targeted all moped riders, including locals.

While foreigners are frequently found to lack proper documentation and ride illegally modified scooters, local riders contribute to safety issues primarily through street racing and reckless driving. A lack of helmet use is a widespread issue for both tourists and locals, which puts them at risk of serious injury.

Scooters are a popular mode of transport in Bali, although there has been an increase in collisions in recent years. (Image: Getty/Boogich)

Collisions and fatalities have been on the rise in recent years, with many linked to reckless driving and inadequate licensing. Bali authorities have updated their official tourist guidelines, urging visitors to “…obey Indonesian traffic laws and regulations, which include having an international or national driving license”.

During the three-day crackdown, multiple mopeds were seized, but it remains unclear whether these enforcement measures will become a long-term practice.