All leading local media and social networks in Bali are ablaze with coverage of an unprecedented degree of traffic gridlock affecting many areas of the Island, particularly on roads leading to the Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Domestic and international air passengers traveling to and from the Airport resulted in traffic gridlock, creating traffic log jams extending at least 4 kilometers on the Bali Mandara Toll Road to the passenger entrance at the airport terminal from mid-day until late into the night. Videos posted online from Friday, 29 December 2023, showed people getting out of their gridlocked vehicles on the tollway, removing their luggage, and commencing a shlep of at least 3 or 4 kilometers weaving down a road crowded with parked cars and busses across a very busy round-about, and on to the airport entrance that lacks pedestrian access paths.
Hendy Heryudhitiawan, the general manager of PT Angkasa Pura I – the company that manages the Airport, told Beritabali.com: “From around 1:00 pm, the traffic jams on the access roads leading to the Airport started to appear. Representatives from Angkasa Pura, the Airport Police Precinct, and Air Force Personnel stationed at the Airport were dispatched to try alleviating the crowded road conditions.”
Aviation Security personnel and parking lot wardens tried to bring order to the crowded roads. However, the efforts were to little avail, with traffic congestion overwhelming protocol roads that included Jalan Kediri and the Ngurah Rai Bypass, making entry and exit from the Airport problematic, if not nearly impossible.
Heryudhitiawan continued, explaining how an initiative was launched to create alternative routes for motorcycles to enter the drop zone, permitting online motorbike taxis, someone driven by off-duty personnel, and to assist passengers carrying suitcases. Luggage trolleys were relocated near vehicle access points, and two electric buggies were deployed to assist elderly passengers, passengers with children, and passengers with large amounts of luggage.
Angkasa Pura also coordinated with airlines to adjust schedules whenever possible, considering the traffic congestion situation in Bali.
Between 1:00 pm and 10:00 pm on Friday, Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport handled 213 domestic aircraft movements and 157 International flight movements.
On Saturday, 30 December 2023, the day following the traffic jam fiasco, the head of the Transportation Ministry Office in Bali, IGW Samsi Gunarta, publicly acknowledged his agency’s failure to anticipate the traffic crush correctly. Quoted by medcom.id, Gunarta, speaking on 30 December 2023, said: “Yesterday. We were a little late undertaking an intensive approach, resulting in an overwhelmed airport. Today (Saturday), we will closely monitor the threshold traffic indicators.
Congested traffic conditions are expected to persist in Bali until 03 January 2024
Commenting on the chaotic traffic situation, one visitor from Bangkok stated: “The traffic in Bali is indeed absolutely atrocious. I wanted to stay for New Year, but I am returning to Thailand today because I can’t move anywhere, even on a motorbike!”
Gunarta said that in the long term, Bali’s congested traffic conditions can only be overcome through the development of public transportation, raised highways, and underground traffic ways for cars and trains.
Commenting on the chaotic traffic situation, one visitor from Bangkok stated: “The traffic in Bali is indeed absolutely atrocious. I wanted to stay for New Year, but I am returning to Thailand today because I can’t move anywhere, even on a motorbike!
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