Surabaya DPRD Pushes for Fleet Renewal and Heavy Waste Sorting

Surabaya (ANTARA) - Deputy Chairman of the Surabaya Regional People’s Representative Council (DPRD) Arif Fathoni is pushing for the renewal of the waste transport fleet and the sorting of heavy waste in the city as efforts to tackle increasingly complex waste problems. Arif Fathoni, familiarly known as Toni, believes that a more adaptive approach is needed, particularly for heavy waste types that require high levels of handling. “For waste that requires more effort, such as mattresses, used chairs, and others, the department must be able to create a special formula that makes it easier for residents to dispose of such waste,” he said in Surabaya on Friday. He proposed a special retribution payment scheme for certain types of waste that require extra handling, which could provide practical solutions for the community. “With that scheme, the community will have clear options for disposing of waste. So they no longer throw it away haphazardly into rivers or inappropriate places,” he stated. “For waste that is business waste, there must be extra supervision from the Surabaya Municipal Civil Service Police Unit. Supervision should be carried out comprehensively, whether waste management complies with permits or not,” he said. Nevertheless, he emphasised that the approach must still prioritise the humane aspect. “Supervision must start from humane efforts and intensive socialisation. That way, we can reduce waste entering temporary disposal sites and final disposal sites right from the source,” he said. “There must be fleet renewal. The Environmental Agency needs to replace vehicles that are over 15 years old, so that there is no more scattered waste and the city’s aesthetics are maintained,” he said. “The renewal must also refer to vehicles that do not use fossil fuels. This is in line with the spirit of the Surabaya City Government, which has started using electric official vehicles,” he added.