Activists welcome 'green bylaw'<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Most clean air campaigns in Jakarta and other cities across the
\ncountry focus on how to reduce vehicular emissions that are a
\nmajor contributor to the hazardous pollutants that foul the air
\nin urban areas.<\/p>\n
Several non-governmental organizations, therefore, called on
\nthe City Council, which is currently deliberating a draft bylaw
\non air pollution control, to strengthen the draft with articles
\nthat are more applicable to reducing vehicular emissions.<\/p>\n
Paul Butarbutar, a Swisscontact senior officer for the Clean
\nAir Project, said on Monday a big city like Jakarta needed a
\nstrong legal basis to require all motorists to abide by
\nregulations on emission standards.<\/p>\n
\"We welcome the deliberation of the draft bylaw on air
\npollution control. But we hope that it will become a strong arm
\nfor the administration to force motorists to abide by emission
\nstandards,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Vehicular emissions are a serious problem in the city because
\nthere are no proper mechanisms for curbing the emissions.<\/p>\n
Private vehicles, which account for nearly 90 percent of the
\nabout 4.7 million vehicles in the city, are not required to
\nundergo emission tests.<\/p>\n
Cargo vehicles and public transportation vehicles are required
\nto undergo emission tests, but many owners of public
\ntransportation vehicles say they can obtain emission certificates
\nwithout taking the test if they bribe the right officials.<\/p>\n
Given this, environmental experts say it is not surprising
\nthat about 70 percent of the hazardous substances in Jakarta's
\nair comes from vehicular emissions.<\/p>\n
Previously, the head of the City Environment Management Body
\n(BPLHD), Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, said if the draft was passed it
\nwould be the only legal basis for the city to force private car
\nowners to abide by emission standards.<\/p>\n
He said the Jakarta governor issued Gubernatorial Decree No.
\n1041\/2000 on standards for vehicular emissions, but this decree
\ndid not have the teeth to force motorists to abide by the
\nstandards.<\/p>\n
Ahmad Syafrudin of the Committee for Phasing out Leaded
\nGasoline (KPBB) said the draft bylaw submitted to the City
\nCouncil did not spell out clear mechanisms on how motorists
\nshould abide by the standards.<\/p>\n
\"The draft requires motorists to abide by the emission
\nstandards but it does not say how,\" he told The Jakarta Post on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
He said councillors should add articles to the draft bylaw
\nrequiring motorists to take their vehicles into certified repair
\nshops for emission tests.<\/p>\n
Ahmad said such repair shops would issue emission certificates
\nthat motorists would have to produce to re-register their
\nvehicles.<\/p>\n
\"If there was such a requirement, after its approval the bylaw
\ncould be immediately applied by the administration to force
\nmotorists to abide by emission standards as stipulated in
\nGubernatorial Decree No. 1041\/2000,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Health problems caused by air pollution include cancer,
\ntuberculosis, retarded intellectual development among children,
\nlow fertility, headaches and respiratory problems.<\/p>\n
Emission standards based on Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041\/2000<\/p>\n
1. Carburetor system<\/p>\n
Year of Production CO % HA (ppm)
\n--------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
< 1985 4.0 1,000<\/p>\n
1986 - 1995 3.5 800<\/p>\n
--------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
2. Injection system<\/p>\n
Year of Production CO % HC (ppm)
\n--------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
1986 - 1995 3.0 600<\/p>\n
--------------------------------------------------------------<\/p>\n
3. Vehicles with diesel fuel<\/p>\n
Year of Production Opacity
\n-----------------------------------------<\/p>\n
< 1985 50 %<\/p>\n
1986 - 1995 45 %<\/p>\n
-----------------------------------------<\/p>\n
Notes:
\n CO: Carbon monoxide
\n HC: Hydrocarbon
\n ppm: parts per million<\/p>",
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