Vehicles parked on Ubud roadsides are proving a headache, adding extra sluggishness to the already heavily congested downtown area.
If it’s not gaping holes in the Bali jungle town’s sidewalks, it’s worrying about parked cars blocking up busy roads.
Some of the worst parking offenses have apparently been happening on Monkey Forest, towards Catas Pata Ubud.
While a week ago, the area was virtually free from illegal parking, cars have been parked up all along the road this week, sticking out from the curb and slowing down traffic, observes Bali Post.
In addition, motorbikes have been parking along the town’s main thoroughfare, Jl. Raya Ubud, despite restrictions in place to curb such parking.
Getting in the way of pedestrians, motorbikes have also been parking on the sidewalk.
Wayan Adi, one of the owners of a rogue motorbike admitted to Bali Post that he chose to park on the side of the road for sake of convenience, that proper parking would be too far of a walk—and he’d have to pay the parking attendant.
“Every day there is a parking fee,” complained Adi.
Gianyar Regency Transportation Department Director Wayan Artana confirmed that the municipal government will be reevaluating the implementation of zero-parking zones on several roads in Ubud.
The transportation department had previously issued a circular, 800/1093/Dishub, related to traffic management in Ubud’s tourist-filled central area.
The circular addressed vehicle capacity, prohibiting large buses carrying more than 25 passengers from entering the “tourist zone” which stretches from the southern side of Pengosekan and Banjar Kalah, Peliatan, the east side of Banjar Embengan, and from the north, the Desa Kedewatan intersection.
Medium vehicles with a maximum capacity of 25 seats are only allowed to enter Ubud from Monkey Forest Central Parking and Setra Dalem Puri. But vehicles with under 15 seats are allowed to enter Ubud, only to help reduce the amount of passenger vehicles on the road.
The circular also instated a parking ban on roads and sidewalks for all vehicle types, including motorcycles, passenger cars, buses, and trucks.
Gianyar has designated the following as appropriate parking zones: Central Parking at Monkey Forest, Batukaru Temple at Jl. Suweta, Pura Dalem Puri, Central Parking at Puri Lukisan, Ubud Market, Singakerta Market, along with parking areas at government offices, private businesses, and other private areas.
