Bengkulu to ban coal transport via public roads next year

Petromindo

The Bengkulu provincial administration will ban the use of public roads for coal transport starting next year amid public protest over pollution and damaged roads.

Secretary of the administration?s mining office Octaviano was quoted by Kompas.com as saying Thursday that the administration has already ?socialized? the planned coal transport ban. ?In 2018, there will be no more public roads to be used for coal transport,? he said, adding that coal miners can either use sea route or develop own hauling roads.

He said that the administration has spent billions of rupiah every year to fix public roads often damaged due to trucks carrying heavy load of coal. (*)