Regent refuses to inaugurate new market

JAKARTA (JP): Bekasi Regent Mochammad Djamhari has turned down the request of a private developer to inaugurate the Pondok Gede market and bus station due to sloppy works.

PT Surya Bintang Mitra (SBM), the market developer, reportedly has asked the regent to inaugurate the newly renovated marketplace, which was built along with the renovation of a bus station.

Both projects were scheduled to be inaugurated by Djamhari yesterday in coincidence with the anniversary day of Bekasi regency.

"I made an incognito visit to the marketplace recently and found that many things still had to be done," Djamhari said.

Djamhari said the entrance to the bus terminal is too steep that it may cause accidents between incoming and outgoing vehicles.

Drivers of small public transport vans had earlier lodged a protest against the dangerous layout of the new terminal.

In response to the drivers' protest, the regency Traffic and Land Transportation Control Agency (DLLAJ) had earlier asked the developer to correct the fault before the terminal opening, but the developer apparently failed to do so. (yns)