THE 5-kilometer road in the karst mountain zone of Citatah, Padalarang, seemed very long and tedious. On Monday last week, private vehicles and smaller cars had to go slowly, trailing behind biawak (lizard) trucks as locals call the old trucks transporting limestone that were creeping along with their loud roar. Exhaust fumes and wind-blown dust frequently blocked the view of drivers following at the back.

The dozens of trucks over three decades