Desy Nurhayati, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar | Mon, 11/29/2010 11:41 AM | Bali
Jl. Legian was visibly different on Saturday night as tourists and locals roamed freely during the first ever car-free period along the street, which usually has bumper to bumper traffic.
Visitors were seen walking and gathering at the crowded night spot as the area was free of traffic and pollution from cars and motorcycles.
Jl. Legian, and Kuta in general, is known for its notorious traffic. The gridlock is worst on Saturday night when youths from Denpasar and Badung, as well as tourists, flock to the world-famous strip to taste its colorful nightlife.
From 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., the street was closed to motorized vehicles from Patik Jelantik junction, all the way down to the Bemo Corner junction.
Motorists were instructed to take an alternative route or park at the parking area in Patih Jelantik.
Among those joining the crowd were a group of 50 people from the Samas cycling club from Denpasar and Badung.
They gathered at their meeting point, the Ground Zero monument, to start an unusual night trip by bicycle around the area.
“We’re here to enjoy the different ambience in the street. This is phenomenal,” Samas Denpasar chairman Endra Datta said.
“Who would have thought that the most crowded street in Bali would be closed to vehicles,” he added.
Cyclists hailed the program as “extraordinary” and said they expected it to be a regular occurrence every Saturday night.
“We fully support this program. This area should be free of vehicles and should be dedicated to pedestrians and cyclists,” Samas Badung chairman I Made Darwi added.
He said it would be better if the vehicle-free area was expanded to other crowded streets in Kuta, referring to Kuta’s 1997 no-parking zone policy, which prohibited motorists from parking cars in several designated roads in Kuta.
The policy failed because it lacked public support. “We expect the public, tourists and residents in this area to support this new policy. This could be the start of a new, greener Kuta.”
Locals and foreign tourists also expressed pleasure with the vehiclefree zone.
“This is good. We can walk safely without cars and motorcycles around us,” Dutch tourist Ad Verhoeven, who walked around the Ground Zero monument with friends, said.
Some tourists said they were surprised, adding that they didn’t know why the road was closed.
Kristin Halvorsen from Norway said a police offi cer stopped her scooter at the junction of Jl. Legian.
“I thought there was a bomb threat or something. I was on my way from Seminyak to Poppies,” she said, laughing.
“It is good that they have this kind of activity, especially if it is for an environmental purpose makes tourists feel more comfortable and safe,” she said.
Kuta Police officers and pecalang (traditional Bali guards) were seen monitoring the street.
Kuta Police chief Adj. Comr. I Gede Ganefo said the activity was aimed at easing traffic gridlock in the tourist hub.
“We will conduct a car-free period every Saturday night in this area and we will continue to evaluate it to avoid any problems,” he said.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment