Garbage piles disrupt buses

JAKARTA (JP): The overpowering stench of garbage at Malabar market on Jl. Karet Raya in Tangerang, West Java, has forced public transportation drivers to take alternative routes.

"Many passengers object if we travel on that road because of the bad smell," a minivan driver was quoted by Antara as saying.

The piles of garbage block part of the road, and the smell has become overwhelming.

Tangerang Mayor Moch. Thamrin said a lot of garbage in the town could not be picked up because of a lack of trucks and employees. He said the city had 70 garbage trucks, but only 50 of them were in proper working condition. He added that a minimum of 200 trucks were needed to pick up all of the garbage generated in the town.

A total of 2,102 cubic meters of garbage is transported daily to garbage dumps in Rawa Kucing, Neglasari and Mauk. (sim)