Public Discourse On Experimental Traffic Management Trials In Ubud, Bali: A Netnographic Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25078/ijoss.v4i2.7525Keywords:
Experimental traffic management, Netnography, Digital public discourse, Digital governance, Sustainable tourism mobilityAbstract
This qualitative netnographic study investigated public discourse surrounding the 2026 experimental traffic management trials in Ubud, Bali. Analyzing 1,095 public comments collected from official municipal social media posts across Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok (21 August – 15 September 2026) using reflexive thematic analysis by two independent coders, the study tracks how digital responses evolved across three temporal phases. Findings reveal a dynamic shift: Phase I generated localized spatial confusion and detour complaints; Phase II was evaluated as manageable relative to subsequent paralysis; while Phase III's comprehensive one-way scheme triggered widespread gridlock (1.5–4-hour travel delays), severe socio-economic disruptions for commuters and tourism drivers, pedestrian hazards, and criticism over low-resolution map communication deficits. Public frustration was vividly expressed through local Balinese idioms (benyah latig [total breakdown]) and spatial metaphors (care nyelepin bubu [like entering a bamboo fish trap]). This real-time digital outrage functioned as a bottom-up civic feedback loop that signaled breached community tolerance thresholds, directly compelling municipal authorities to execute an emergency policy rollback reverting traffic flow to the Phase II scheme. Utilizing anonymized public data, this research demonstrates how social media discourse serves as an unmediated policy evaluation mechanism and highlights the necessity of pre-trial digital traffic simulations, multi-channel transparent communication, and structured stakeholder consultations in historic tourism hubs.
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