Many roads in Bogor damaged

BOGOR (JP): Bogor regent Eddie Yoso Martadipura has said that about 70 percent of roads covering a total length of 1,860 kilometers in the city are in disrepair.

"Only between 120 and 140 kilometers of the roads can routinely be repaired. The rest are left untouched," Eddie said.

He explained that the regency's limited capability to repair the damaged roads was caused mainly by a lack of money.

Funds allocated for road development and repair total only Rp 6 billion (US$521,000) annually, of which Rp 1.2 billion is spent on periodic projects, Rp 2.5 billion on procurement, Rp 1.6 billion on employees' salaries, Rp 0.6 billion on asphalt and Rp 0.2 billion on fuel.

Eddie said that the damage was caused mainly by heavy goods vehicles using the roads that were not designed to accommodate such vehicles.

Moreover, the city's poor drainage system combined with heavy rainfall deteriorates the condition of most roads, he said.

The other cause of the damage is the actual poor quality of the roads, he added. (24/hhr)