Latest news with #TheBaliSun
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Perth Now
Bali recruits robots to clean up popular tourist beaches
Bali's beaches are becoming overwhelmed with rubbish, but an innovative solution from a robot in training could help solve the crisis. Over the past two years, beach cleaning robots have been tested in some of Bali's top resorts by major hotel brands and emerging local leaders are sharing their aspirations that these high-tech hoovers could help maintain the island's most popular beaches. Alit Sucipta, the Deputy Regent of Badung, visited FINNS Beach Club in Canggu to formally launch the deployment of the BeBot Smart Beach Cleaning Robot. From Sucipta's observations, the small car-shaped piece of kit powered by solar panel batteries can dredge up small pieces of litter as deep as 10cm into the sand and even grooms the sand as it moves. The robo-cleaner has been sucking up plastic at Finns since May 2024, but Tuesday afternoon's event market a discussion by local leaders to talk about the future of beach rubbish in Bali's busiest tourist area. 'If you look at what we've seen, this is a reference point that we need to study. This robot can be used, but with an even larger capacity, so we can provide it to each traditional village in coastal areas,' Sucipta told reporters, according to The Bali Sun. While the first robot has been spurred into action with the backing of a private beach club, Sucipta hopes that these steps will spread to other local businesses so that the waste management problem on the island can continue to be tackled. The Director of Finns Beach Club, Wayan Asrama, told reporters that the trial period for the BeBot robot has been completed, and testing has proven successful. The solar-powered robot has been working 2.5 hours a day, and has been able to clear 180m stretches of Berawa Beach and Perancak Beach, as reported by the local press. Last Christmas, Bali awoke to a monumental tide of plastic on Jimbaran Beach on December 24. Credit: Adobe / everigenia Bali's beaches are often covered in piles of plastic, the worst of these 'tides' of plastic usually wash ashore during the wet season between October to March. Last Christmas, Bali awoke to a monumental tide of plastic on Jimbaran Beach on December 24; Charity, Sungi Watch, had to call on volunteers for an emergency cleanup event in early January 2025. 'A massive 66,000kg of trash was collected by volunteers between over the Christmas holiday period in 2024,' said the not-for-profit. The waste isn't just from the unregulated rubbish which is deposited in the waters around Bali by shipping vessels, it's added to by the island's open landfills. As they become fuller, they put pressure on local waste management operations. Rubbish is then spilt into waterways and dumped in unofficial landfill sites, often on the edges of some of Bali's most beautiful natural landscapes.
Economic Times
12-08-2025
- Economic Times
Bali International Airport cuts queue time for tourists with smarter baggage screening
Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport has introduced a new baggage screening system that is helping reduce passenger queues and improve travel time. The system, rolled out in July, shifts checked baggage inspection from the terminal entrance to the airline check-in counters, while hand luggage is now screened only at security. According to The Bali Sun report, General Manager Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said that the change aims to reduce interaction points that slow passenger flow. The process now uses Multi-View Dual-Energy (MVXR) X-ray machines in the Hold Baggage Screening Check Point (HBSCP) area, which Shahab said detect dangerous objects more accurately than previous devices. After check-in, passengers and their cabin baggage are screened once at the Passenger Security Check Point before entering the departure waiting area. 'This program is a security measure regulated in international aviation safety standards as stated in the annex 17 Doc 8973 amendment document and also the Decree of the Minister of Transportation of the Republic of Indonesia Number KM 39 Year 2024 regarding the National Aviation Security Program,' Shahab said. The airport handles an average of 31,000 passengers daily, with numbers climbing to 60,000 during peak seasons and religious holidays. Shahab urged travellers to cooperate with airport and airline staff and avoid carrying prohibited items such as power banks, lithium battery devices, and electronic cigarettes. 'Flight safety is the responsibility of all of us,' he said. Alongside the baggage system upgrade, Bali Airport has been enhancing accessibility features, including priority seating, wheelchair services, accessible bathrooms, a Special Needs Counter, and dedicated drop-off and pick-up areas for passengers with accessibility needs.
Perth Now
02-08-2025
- Perth Now
Aussies warned Bali police conducting spot checks
Police in Bali have confirmed that they are conducting spot checks on tourist vehicles in order to ensure that safety is enforced across the island. Aussies travelling to Bali should be aware that The Bali Transportation Agency will be pulling over tourist taxis and tourist transport vehicles across Badung Regency (which includes popular areas like Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu). The spot checks began on July 29 and around 20 violations resulted in drivers receiving tickets according to The Bali Sun. Almost all of the violations were from drivers who were driving tourist vehicles and the Bali Transportation Agency also identified a worrying amount of private cars that were transporting tourists without the correct tourist transport licences and permits. The spot checks began on July 29 and around 20 violations resulted in drivers receiving tickets. Credit: borja llanos / Borja - The Head of the Road Transportation Division of the Bali Transportation Agency, Nyoman Sunarya, told reporters that these spot checks on tourist taxis will likely continue for the next month and wouldn't impact tourists taking taxis. '[tourist vehicles that were unlawful] were allowed to continue carrying passengers, then they were given a ticket and a warning and asked immediately to process the permit,' he said. The updates from the Bali Transportation Agency come just days after Bali Police conducted a series of visits to tourist taxi drivers in the South Kuta area. If you'd like to view this content, please adjust your . To find out more about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Guide. Sunarya clarified that the Badung Recency was the main area of focus for the spot checks and the purpose was to make sure all taxi drivers were following safety guidelines. 'Continuing, especially in Badung, the team will regularly conduct guidance and supervision in the Bali region to ensure safety, security, and comfort,' he said.
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Fear of ‘mafia-style syndicates' in Bali grows amid spike in crimes by foreigners
A surge in foreigner-linked crime has raised fears that Bali may turn into a 'killing ground' for drug traffickers and organised crime groups, as officials and residents warn that efforts to boost mass tourism are eroding public safety and inviting the wrong kind of visitors to the Indonesian island. Advertisement Bali police recorded a 16 per cent rise in crimes involving foreigners last year – from 194 cases in 2023 to 226 in 2024 – with 108 such incidents logged between January and June of this year, according to local news outlet The Bali Sun. Local politician Agung Bagus Pratiksa Linggih attributed the issue to an influx of low-budget travellers staying long-term in unlicensed accommodations that have proliferated since the Covid-19 pandemic. 'The quality of tourists coming to Bali is decreasing,' Agung said as quoted by The Guardian. 'This is due to the rapid growth of illegal homestays, which allows low-budget foreigners to stay longer in Bali.' A police officer walks past the villa in Bali where Australian national Zivan Radmanovic was shot dead and another man injured, on June 15. Photo: AFP More than 60,000 visitors arrive on the island each day, which has a population of 4.2 million. Last year, Indonesia's most visited island welcomed over 6.3 million foreign tourists, and the provincial government hopes to surpass that figure by attracting 6.5 million this year. Advertisement But the pressure from such volumes is mounting, say locals, who fear that rapid growth without adequate controls is attracting criminal elements.
Perth Now
17-07-2025
- Perth Now
Bali beaches set for an Aussie-inspired makeover
Many Aussies will be planning winter escapes to the popular tropical island, but Bali leaders have looked to Australia for inspiration to transform their most visited beaches. The Badung Regency Government — who oversee tourist hotspots like Kuta, Legian, Canggu, and Uluwatu — is on a mission to make the region more pedestrian-friendly. Head of the Badung Regency Government Regent Wayan Adi Arnawa said he was inspired by the east coast of Australia when thinking about future plans for Kuta. 'We will arrange pedestrian access from the Pantai Jerman coast to the north so tourists can walk or exercise along the beach,' Mr Arnawa told The Bali Sun about plans which will be completed by 2026. 'So it becomes a plus for tourists who stay in Kuta. Like in Gold Coast, the pedestrianised areas are wide and comfortable.' Mr Arnawa recognised the ongoing problem of congestion on the island, especially in the bustling beach town of Kuta, which has been a huge driver for making the infrastructure improvements. The vibrant nightlife of Seminyak attracts crowds of tourist which often leads to congestion in the area. Credit: seejohn. / Theeranan - 'Congestion is a serious problem for us,' he told reporters on July 1. In the Kuta area, alongside improving pedestrian access, officials also want to clear up overhead cables, create more shade, increase street lights, and add new breakwaters to ensure that coastal erosion does impact the beachfront for generations to come. It's not just Kuta officials in Bali are focusing on, they also want to deal with congestion in the incredibly popular Canngu area. Pererenan has become one of the busiest and most popular beach locations in the world, since it was named Time Out Magazine's coolest neighbourhood of the year in 2024. 'The beaches of Badung are not only a tourist attraction but also have high spiritual and cultural value for the community, especially as a place to carry out religious ceremonies,' Arnawa clarified to reporters.
