Tourists to be banned from renting motorbikes on Bali amid claims of bad behaviour

Tourists are set to be banned from renting motorbikes on the island of Bali, due to a spate of violations of traffic orders for misdemeanours, including not wearing helmets and shirts.

Tourists to the Indonesian island, which is known for its picturesque beaches and party atmosphere, often hire motorcycles to get around. However, increasing backlash from locals has sparked demand for reform.

Governor I Wayan Koster said some visitors to the island were driving motorbikes without valid licences, while police records show some have used fake licence plates. Other recent issues include visitors abusing tourist visas to work in Bali.

Mr Koster insisted the proposals had been under consideration for some time – and were not in relation to viral videos being circulated on social media.

People walk along Kuta beach during sunset on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

Local newspaper the Bali Sun said the videos showed tourists shouting at police officers while being reprimanded for not wearing a helmet, to being involved in hit-and-run collisions.

“You [should] not roam about the island using motorbikes, without wearing shirts or clothes, no helmet, and even without a licence," Mr Koster said. “If you are a tourist, then act like a tourist.”

He added: “So those tourists have to travel, walk and use cars to travel. It is no longer allowed to use a motorcycle or anything that is not from a travel agent.”

He said he plans to put the ban, which will take immediate effect, into law later this year.

More than 171 foreign nationals have violated traffic orders from late February to early March, according to local police records. Australians make up the vast majority of visitors to the island, with 352,000 Australian tourists holidaying there last year.

However, Mr Koster said there had been an increasing number of visitors from Ukraine and Russia. He suggested he was considering removing nationals from those countries from the “visa on arrival” scheme, adding many visitors from the two nations were arriving in Bali to work.

Bali authorities said from January to March 2 this year, there were 22 foreigners in Bali who were prosecuted for violating immigration administration rules. Of that number, five people were Russian nationals.