Cemetery used for parking lot

JAKARTA: Overwhelming visitors to the Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta during the Idul Fitri holiday had left the management no other choice but to make the visitors park their vehicles next to the zoo at the Pisangan cemetery.

Ali, a parking attendant, said he should bribe security guards to open up parking space at the cemetery.

Oskar, a security guard at the zoo parking lot, said that the zoo had been crowded since the first day of the Idul Fitri holiday, was quoted by Antara as saying.

He added that he could earn up to Rp 600,000 (US$66.67) a day in parking fees at the cemetery.

Oskar said that 15 youths living near the zoo were employed as parking attendants during the holiday. -- JP