Bali Regional Police conducted a major security operations on Thursday, December 21st, 2023, at the Puputan Margarana Niti Mandala Renon Field in Denpasar.
The initiative was launched to prepare for the expected influx of tourists at the celebrations of Christmas 2023, and the New Year 2024 .
The authorities at Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport estimate that around 1,09 million passengers are expected to travel through the airport between December 19th and January 3rd. The airport had around 909 143 passengers last year. This is a 20% rise. This increase in travelers is a reflection of Bali’s increasing popularity and its rebounding tourism industry.
Bali Police Chief Inspector General Ida Bagus Kd Putra Narendra SIK, M.Si acknowledged the surge of tourists and described the measures taken to deal with potential disruptions. They include traffic jams and fuel shortages. Other factors are natural disasters and terrorist threats.
The police has deployed several units to counteract the threat of terrorism, including the General Criminal Investigation Directorate, Special Criminal Investigation, Intelligence, as well as the Mobile Brigade’s Gegana Wanteror Unit.
The Bali Regional Police has coordinated with different agencies, and deployed a total 1,600 National Police personnel and 2,700 cross sectoral personnel. This is in order to create a conducive atmosphere for tourists on Bali and to address any threats and disturbances before they occur.
In addition, in order to reduce traffic congestion, particularly in areas where there is a lot of tourist activity, like Kuta or Badung more personnel has been assigned. These officers will be focusing on traffic engineering and managing in areas with narrow lanes, limited alternate routes and other factors, like Atlas, Petitenget and Berawa.
This strategy involves diverting traffic, implementing closed and open traffic systems when necessary, and organizing and socializing the changes with the public.
