From Farmer to Waste Truck Driver: Agus's Struggle in Denpasar

The sound of truck engines returned to the Suwung Final Processing Site (TPA) area in Denpasar on Monday, 2 March 2026. After days of uncertainty, waste truck drivers from the Denpasar-Badung region were finally able to resume dumping their loads.

The day before, TPA Suwung had been declared closed and non-operational. The clarity that arrived today brought relief to dozens of drivers who had been waiting for their turn for some time.

One of them was Agus, 29, a man from Situbondo, East Java, who said he had been waiting five days to dispose of waste.

“Yes, five days, some have waited a week. I stayed here waiting. I was afraid something would go missing, so I kept watching it,” Agus explained when met at the location.

Since quitting farming in his hometown, Agus chose to become a waste truck driver. He admitted he had difficulty finding work. When the opportunity came, he accepted it without much consideration.

“I’ve been a waste truck driver for 12 years. Before that, I was a farmer in the village. The income is there, but besides this job, there’s nothing else, just doing deliveries like this,” he explained.

In a day, Agus earned 50,000 rupiah. He was grateful for that amount. For him, this job was not just about earning a living, but also about responsibility towards the environment.

Every day, Agus collected waste from the Banjar Tegal Gundul area and around Tibubeneng Village, North Kuta, Badung. He drove the truck whilst his colleagues loaded waste onto the vehicle bed.

In one trip, the truck he drove could carry up to five tonnes of waste, even more.

Before the closure, waste collection could be carried out twice a week. However, after the restriction policy, the schedule changed drastically to once a month.

“Yes, once a month now, if this opens, it might be twice a month,” Agus said whilst listening to music through a headset.

The delayed waste collection often triggered complaints from residents. Agus admitted that complaints almost always came, especially when waste accumulated approaching a month.

The journey to TPA Suwung was also not a short matter. From Tibubeneng Village, the truck he drove required more than an hour, not including traffic congestion and queuing whilst disposing of waste.

“Plus the traffic, waiting for a turn when dumping waste,” he said.

Despite this, Agus hoped TPA Suwung could continue operating so that waste transport services returned to normal.

“Hopefully it stays open, the situation is also safe and controlled,” he concluded.

Similar hopes were expressed by Toha, a driver from Probolinggo, East Java, who lived on Jalan Gunung Salak, West Denpasar. He was also affected by the long wait to dispose of waste.

“Yes, hopefully this can stay open, so there’s no congestion, the situation is also safe,” he explained.

Toha admitted his financial condition was quite drained whilst waiting. Nevertheless, he persevered and tried to provide the best service when TPA reopened.

“Yes, there are complaints, but what can we do, the situation is like this. But if it opens, we will do our best,” he said whilst sipping coffee.