New Kuta area traffic system gets trial run

Driving in Bali is generally easy if you accept that the locals do not adhere to any formal driving code. Pulling out from the curb without looking, indicating or worrying about who is coming, is all part of the deal and after getting rear-ended you may be asked to cough up money, because you 'caused the accident'. Okay, enough of my bellyaching.

As most people will know the streets are very narrow in the Kuta area and most people's tactic is to try to force their way though a blocked road. When 2 cars come head to head and stop, the cars behind them drive up to their bumper. They don't care that they can't go any further, they just want to make sure they get as close as they possibly can to the car in front. The motorbikes pile up behind each car, jamming every crack and no one is going anywhere. I had a laugh the other day on Jl. Padma Utara in Legian where this exact thing happened. A 25 year old Aussie and his girlfriend were on a motorbike next to me. Watching the chaos unfold he angrily shouted, "You bloody idiots, figure it out, how hard is it?" Logic goes out the window for sure and one place where you will see this 20 times a day is Jl. Double Six leading to the beach from Jl. Legian.

Amazingly the authorities have implemented a new traffic system. At least on Monday they were trying it out. Jl. Double Six was a one-way street. Down in Tuban more excitement happened. Jl. Kartika Plaza (Jl. Dewi Sartika) was also turned into a one-way street heading north, meaning that cars either had to turn left through Kuta Square or right, onto the now reversed Jl. Singosari.

The result in Kuta and Tuban was gridlock. Jl. Pantai Kuta saw traffic crawling along, some people wondering no doubt, how to get back to their hotel on Jl. Kartika Plaza after visiting Kuta.

I think the Jl. Double Six move is very good. Don't know about the other one.