Foul air may delay toll roads<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Will more toll roads really help sort out the city's congestion
\nwoes, or will they only lead to more pollution?<\/p>\n
This question finally seems to have occurred to Governor
\nSutiyoso as he is shortly to assign the newly-established Jakarta
\nTransportation Council (DKT) to review the idea of constructing
\nnew toll roads.<\/p>\n
Late in May, the city administration said it planned to
\nconstruct six new innercity toll roads. It is estimated that the
\ntotal cost of the new roads will be at least Rp 23 trillion
\n(US$2.4 billion).<\/p>\n
The envisaged turnpikes will link Bekasi and Kampung Melayu,
\nKampung Melayu and Tomang, Pasar Minggu and Casablanca, Rawabuaya
\nand Sunter, Sunter and Pulogebang, Kemayoran and Kampung Melayu,
\nUlujami and Tanah Abang, and Kampung Melayu-Tomang-Duri Pulo.<\/p>\n
"The council will review whether more, fewer or none at all
\nare needed," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on air
\npollution control, held on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The governor said that the number of motor vehicles in the
\ncapital had reached 4.5 million, with 600,000 more coming into
\nthe city from satellite towns during the day.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, an average of 269 new vehicles hit the city's
\nroads every day, compared to 138 per day in 2003.<\/p>\n
DKT chairman Sutanto Soehodho said that constructing new
\nhighways instead of prioritizing mass public transportation would
\nbe counterproductive to both city's macro transportation plan and
\nthe implementation of the new pollution control bylaw.<\/p>\n
The plan envisages the development of a proper mass
\ntransportation system, the limiting of the number of motor
\nvehicles, and the expansion of the city's road network.<\/p>\n
Sutanto said that prioritizing a variety of public
\ntransportation projects would provide greater benefit for the
\nmajority of Jakarta's residents, rather than just the owners of
\nprivate vehicles.<\/p>\n
Motor vehicles are the main contributors to air pollution in
\nthe city, accounting for about 70 percent of pollutants,
\nincluding carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide.<\/p>\n
High concentrations of these substances cause various health
\nproblems, ranging from minor ones such as eye irritations to
\nserious ones such as cancer and brain-cell damage.<\/p>\n
The Air Pollution Control Bylaw, which is due to come into
\neffect in February next year, requires all vehicles to undergo
\nemission tests twice a year, and the presentation of an emission
\ntest certificate for vehicle registration purposes.<\/p>\n
The bylaw also requires that unleaded gasoline be used in
\nprivately owned cars and compressed natural gas in public
\ntransportation vehicles. Smoking will also be prohibited in
\nenclosed public places.<\/p>\n
Implementation of the new regulations will require
\nfamiliarization among the public, the training of enforcement
\npersonnel, and the putting in place of the necessary
\ninfrastructure and procedures for oversight and evaluation
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency and non-
\ngovernmental organizations working in the environmental field
\nhave come up with 90 detailed programs for the implementation and
\nfamiliarization of the bylaw, but are still developing a
\ntimeframe and task distribution scheme. (003)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/foul-air-may-delay-toll-roads-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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