In similar moves, Bali and a number of Italian towns are planning to get tourist cars, scooters and motorbikes off their roads to reduce congestion and overcrowding in places whose in-season population dwarfs the number of residents.
It’s not a new idea in Italy where a small town on the Amalfi coast instituted license plate-based restrictions in 2020, but now the Sicilian island of Lampedusa is going one further, banning tourist vehicles during the 40-day height of the tourism season. An exception would be made for those staying four days or longer.
Other towns are implementing or considering restrictions as well, some on vehicles, and some on use of particular beaches or roads.
In Bali, meanwhile, the measures are aimed mainly at motorscooters and motorcycles, and the behavior local officials say goes with them. The local governor complained of tourists “roaming around with motorbikes, without wearing T-shirts and clothes, with no helmets, violating [traffic rules].” He added, “If you are a tourist, then act like a tourist.” He also said car rentals for visitors would only be permitted for cars rented from a local tourism source.
