Some senior citizens complain that living in the city is not as

Some senior citizens complain that living in the city is not as
comfortable as it used to be. They particularly complain about
the air pollution caused by vehicle emissions.

Asballah, 73, a retired civil servant from the Ministry of
Finance. He still lives in a housing complex for current Ministry
of Finance officials in South Jakarta.

"As a retired citizen, I spend a lot of my time at home. But
if I go out sometimes, I feel that living in Jakarta is not
comfortable because of the vehicle pollution.

I do not know who should be blamed for this condition, but I
hope the government, particularly the city administration, would
be serious in dealing with the environmental problems including
the bad air pollution.

We also hope that motorists also realize that by spewing toxic
gases it will also affect their own health as well as other
people's.

Sri Soewasti Soesanto, 65, is a retired researcher at the
Health Ministry's research center. She lives in Taman Sari
Persada Raya housing complex in Jatibening, near Bekasi.

The environmental condition in Jakarta is so poor that there
is nothing positive which can be said.

The condition of the air, for example, is worsening all the
time. Why? Because all who are responsible for vehicular
emissions ignore the existing regulations. Many public transport
vehicles never think about the pollution their vehicles make.

The officials who are in charge of conducting the emissions
tests prefer to receive bribes rather than asking the motorists
to improve the quality of the emission.

As for human waste, in Jakarta there is no system to manage
it. Nearly all residents have their own septic tanks. In the
crowded housing areas, many people drink ground water which is
contaminated by the human waste of their neighbors.

There are also many industries which dispose their toxic
industrial waste improperly.

As for garbage, Jakarta also faces serious problems as the
city depends very much on Bekasi (where the city's main dump is
located). Therefore the city should begin to think about how to
manage its own garbage in the future. We still have a lot of
homework to do. It needs commitment from all elements of the
society in Jakarta.

Suwito, 76, a retired official of state-owned pension bank. He
has six children, seven grandchildren and now lives in Banjarsari
in Cilandak, South Jakarta.

"Frankly speaking, the environmental condition in Jakarta is
worsening compared to when I was young. It is very bad compared
with other cities like Singapore. If we stroll along the roads of
Singapore for example, we are not disrupted by the heat of the
sun as there are a lot of trees there. We are not also annoyed by
the acrid black smoke from vehicle exhausts.

The condition is very different here. There is no protection
from the sunshine. We cannot inhale fresh air as the vehicle
exhaust, especially the city buses, produce toxic fumes. Most of
the sidewalks in Jakarta are also used by street vendors.
Motorcycles also regularly zip by on the sidewalks. Therefore, we
cannot enjoy walking here.

I think, the lack of discipline of the Jakarta people should
be blamed for the chaotic condition because the regulations are
there. If we talk about Jakartans, it means both the public as
well as the civil servants.

As an example, there is a regulation banning (public) vehicles
which use unsafe gas, but we can see many such vehicles on the
roads. Both officials and motorists show no discipline. The law
enforcement is very weak.

If we want to resolve the problems, we should elect good
people for our leaders. But I think it is not easy to find a good
person now."