Transportation Agency Bans Vehicles From Stopping Along Sanur Port Roads

A number of prospective passengers prepare to sail to Nusa Penida Island at Sanur Port, Denpasar, Friday (22/9/2023) (ANTARA/Dewa Ketut Sudiarta Wiguna)

The Bali Transportation Agency (Dishub) issued a ban on stopping and parking vehicles along Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai in the Sanur Port area, Denpasar.

Head of the Bali Transportation Agency I Putu Sutaryana said the rules that have been running since early October 2023 are aimed at reducing congestion in the area, while the sanctions are coordinated with the police because they are related to traffic violations.

"The point is we are trying to find out how at the Sanur Port to reduce traffic jams, if there are no traffic jams at all, it is impossible but we reduce it so that it runs smoothly, yes, we should convey it to the driver and user," he said, Monday, October 23.

In the first three weeks of its implementation, the Bali Transportation Agency admitted that there had begun to change the behavior of vehicle users, especially those who wanted to take advantage of the Sanur Port, namely those who often stop or park on the east side of the road, which now only have a few left.

Likewise, across or west of the road, where previously, vehicle users who wanted to shop often parked their vehicles carelessly, now they follow the rules and park their vehicles in the right place.

In an effort to boost public awareness, Sutaryana and her team since last September have started the socialization stage through an appeal billboard installed at six points on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, precisely from the Hang Tuah intersection to the Padang Galak Beach intersection.

So far, they have seen changes in the behavior of motorists, especially tour guides or drivers who take tourists to Sanur Port from previously parking on the main roadside now no longer.

"That's right (there has been a change) yesterday Saturday and Sunday we controlled. Previously, to the east on the side of the road there was a parking car and stopped, after we installed signs, it had started to decrease. We also conveyed that in the west because it was a national road, so from the previous many cars, now there are still one and two, the steps taken are quite good at reducing parking there," said Sutaryana.

Not only tour guides and port visitors, but the Bali Transportation Agency also received positive responses from entrepreneurs along the national road, billboards and traffic signs that they installed turned out to help entrepreneurs control their place of business.

Sutaryana admits that there are still around five vehicles that have previously stopped or illegal parking that cannot be completed, but this is quite helpful while waiting for the parking bag to be built next to the port.

"This is a temporary beginning before the parking area with Puri Santrian's land is used. From 10 percent of traffic congestion, it could be 2 percent. We hope this will continue even though the parking lot is already there so that traffic runs smoothly," he said.