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AMBI: The planned ban on transporting coal on public roads, which is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, is not yet final as the Jambi Energy and Mineral Resources Agency is still reviewing the matter.

Agency chief Budidaya said his office wanted further discussions on the issue. '€œWe are regulating upstream issues, while the Transportation Agency is regulating transportation matters,'€ he said on Saturday.

'€œWe have to discuss how to implement Provincial Bylaw No. 13/2012 on the transportation of coal in 2014.'€

Budidaya said he had conveyed the matter to the Jambi Legislative Council (DPRD), requesting that the DPRD facilitate a discussion with the Transportation Agency on how best to transport coal.

'€œI have also talked with the transportation chief,'€ he said.

He said he wanted a clear delineation of responsibility and authority for each agency when the ban was enforced. However, he added, there were no plans for such a discussion ahead of the enforcement in two months'€™ time.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the DPRD'€™s Commission III, Bambang Bayu Suseno, said the provincial bylaw had to be enforced, although it was up to the technical agencies involved to determine how to implement it.

'€œIf there is any problem, they can coordinate with the DPRD,'€ he said.

If the bylaw could not be enforced because the special road designed for coal transportation did not yet exist, Bambang continued, there should be further discussions because the coal would still be transported on public roads, as per Article 6 of the bylaw.

'€œWe will discuss the bylaw'€™s implementation as well as the related gubernatorial regulation,'€ he said.