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."

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.

"The environmental condition is worsening compared to when I was young. It is very bad compared with other cities like Singapore.

There is no protection from the sunshine. We cannot inhale fresh air... Most of the sidewalks in Jakarta are also used by street vendors. Motorcycles also regularly zip by on the sidewalks.

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.

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."