Bali traffic police ramp up checkpoints with annual Operation Zebra

Bali Police will soon be unleashing Operation Zebra, their annual period of intensified traffic-rule-following vigilance.

So, if you’re driving in Bali, grab those helmets and make sure you’ve got a proper license and your vehicle registration in order.

The two-week operation will run from November 1 to 14, where police will crack down on traffic violations, including dangerous driving that can result in accidents and fatalities, along with improper licenses and permits, Bali Police deputy chief Brig. Gen. Gede Alit Widana announced on Monday.

Pushing people to adhere to traffic laws in Bali will reduce the high number of fatal accidents, hopes Widana, who says that there’s nearly a fatal accident on the island every day.

Compared with last year, the number of general traffic violations in Bali have gone up. Based on data collected January to September 2016, there were 69,849 traffic violations in Bali, while during the same period in 2017, that figure totaled 73,143.

“Hopefully people in Bali can be more conscious and orderly on the road. We must be more careful, polite, and orderly on the main roads.

“Don’t get emotional, don’t cut each other off and don’t get aggressive. Let us prioritize the safety of ourselves and other road users,” Bali Post quoted Widana as saying.

Police will also be going after people using “flashers” or police lights with authorization, says Widana.

“There are rules for the use of rotators and strobe lights. They are not permitted for arbitrary use.”

Moreover police will be looking for vehicles with out of date maintenance that are unfit to be on the road, as well as as vehicles that are improperly parked on the side of the road and thus clogging up Bali’s already too intense traffic.