'Bajaj' can use LPG to reduce pollution : NGO<\/p>\n
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The bajaj (three-wheeled motorized vehicle) can still operate in
\nthe city if the owners improve its engine performance to make it
\nmore environmentally friendly, says international NGO
\nSwisscontact. The bajaj is said to be the most pollutive vehicle
\nin the city.<\/p>\n
Swisscontact, which financed a study on the bajaj conversion
\npilot project from September 2001 to April 2003, says that one of
\nthe ways to improve the vehicle was to change the fuel it uses
\nfrom gasoline to liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).<\/p>\n
Changing the fuel type can cut the emission of carbon monoxide
\n(CO) by up to 70 percent and hydrocarbons (HC) by up to 30
\npercent from its current levels.<\/p>\n
Health experts say that HC can cause lung cancer and
\nrespiratory infections, while CO can cause heart problems.<\/p>\n
The study also shows that at the current fuel price,
\nconverting the vehicle's engine from a gasoline-powered to an
\nLPG-powered engine will reduce the driver's fuel expenses by
\naround 13 percent. Each day, a bajaj can consume around 10 liters
\nof gasoline and 0.6 liter of lubricant oil for every 115
\nkilometers.<\/p>\n
The study reveals that the bajaj's conversion from gasoline to
\nLPG will be economically sound if it is implemented en masse. The
\ncost can be minimized by setting a lower price for LPG and
\npurchasing converters in bulk. In this case, the break even point
\ncan be reached within one year.<\/p>\n
If the project is implemented as a small scale production, the
\nbreak even point will be reached in 3 years and six weeks.<\/p>\n
Ari Mohammad, clean air project policy analyst at
\nSwisscontact, said the converted bajaj could quell its critics,
\nas the cost analysis of the conversion would be economically
\nsound if it also took into consideration the environmental and
\nhealth costs of the old bajaj.<\/p>\n
"A converted bajaj will cost Rp 5.5 million -- far cheaper
\ncompared to the price of a new Kancil vehicle, which is Rp 34
\nmillion," Ari told The Jakarta Post on Monday.<\/p>\n
Converting the bajaj would require the replacement of several
\ncomponents including the odometer, an LPG kit converter,
\nelectronic systems, lubricant systems, steel flats and various
\ncables.<\/p>\n
To obtain the best results, the engine should also be
\noverhauled.<\/p>\n
The city administration has been considering replacing the
\nbajaj, an Indian-made vehicle first introduced to the city in the
\n1970s, with the kancil, a four-wheeled vehicle made in Tangerang,
\nbecause of the pollution the bajaj produces.<\/p>\n
However, the plan has received strong opposition from bajaj
\ndrivers and owners, who say that the high cost of the kancil
\nwould cut into their daily earnings.<\/p>\n
Each bajaj driver pays about Rp 30,000 as a daily rental fee.
\nIf the vehicle is replaced with the kancil, each driver or owner
\nwould need to make a down payment of Rp 5 million, with a daily
\nrental fee of Rp 50,000.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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