Miners protest Jambi coal traffic regulation

Mining companies in Jambi have strongly protested the provincial government?s regulation to limit the coal transportation in public roads, Kontan reported on Monday. Under the regulation, a truck carrying coal of more than 7 tons are not allowed to use public roads.

Harmen Saputra, one of coal miners in the province, said in Jambi last week that at least six coal mining companies had closed their operations since early January due to the limitation in the use of public roads imposed by the government.

He said that these miners were forced to shut down their operations because they had to pay a high transportation costs due to the coal traffic restriction in public roads. The regulation has also resulted in decline of the transportation of coal to the Muarobungo port, the main port for coal shipment in the province.

According to him, the government is encouraging the use of rivers to transport coal from mining areas to the port. ?We hope the change in the transportation system is well prepared so that the miners could reduce their losses resulting from high transportation costs,? he added. (*)