Sidewalks in Bali

It's been several years now since a very oddly designed public works project appeared on the sidewalks of many towns and villages in Bali. No, it's not the badly designed statues which include a large, ugly baby that dangerously blocks views of traffic on one of the island's busiest corners or the tacky white mythological figures that fail to imitate Greco-Roman classicism. This is something smaller but more extensive in scale that poses a great danger to everyone, from pedestrians to traffic alike. It is Bali's sidewalks.

One wonders if the designers of these pedestrian walkways have ever seen a "normal" sidewalk, let alone know their function. A sidewalk should be level to enable people to walk with the greatest ease, comfort, and safety. Sidewalks should be wide enough to allow pedestrians to walk in both directions without bumping into each other.

But what has happened in Bali? Sidewalks in towns and villages are like roller coasters, rising and falling like endless humps on a camel's back. In front of houses, shops or restaurants, the ridiculously high sidewalks dip down to street level, a difference of 25-centimeters. This allows vehicles to have access to the premises. But there is only enough room for motorbikes to use this access.

Sometimes the humps themselves are less than a meter long before dropping again. The slope from one level to another is often a dangerous 45 to 60 degrees, and sometimes a sharp 90 degree drop. This is particularly dangerous for children, the elderly, or the handicapped. It makes walking unpleasant. It is also very tiring on the legs, and one has to concentrate to stop themselves from falling over.

The sidewalk is also not climate-friendly. In the dry season a layer of dirt makes the path slippery while in the wet season, the slopes become a slippery slide. Come rain or shine, it is safer to walk on the sidewalks to avoid the traffic. But even this is hazardous.

For some strange reason, which defies common sense and logic, trees were planted on the left-hand side of the sidewalk, instead of the right-hand side. This means there is less room for traffic to flow smoothly and driving becomes a game of skill and chance.

Drains on the side of the road pose another problem. Not only were they made to fit a person's foot, which can lead to a sprained ankle, they were also made to fit car and motorbike tires. Some people have even been unexpectedly thrown off their motorcycles when their tire became caught in the drain.

The function of sidewalks has obviously not been understood and as a result they have become monuments of dangerous design and bad planning in Bali. Why weren't experts consulted from the beginning? And why did it take so long for people to speak up about the sidewalk's poor design?

Can anything be done to remedy the situation? Making Bali's sidewalks more convenient and comfortable to pedestrians may take a lot of work, but it is better than putting safety at risk.

GARRETT KAM

Ubud, Bali