Vehicle emission standards to be delayed again<\/p>\n
Urip Hudiono, The Jakarta Post\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
The dream of achieving cleaner air in Jakarta is still months
\nfrom reality, as the government has yet to complete the revision
\nof its 10-year-old, outdated national standard for vehicle
\nemissions.<\/p>\n
The revision is expected to be finished and come into effect
\nin September, meaning all motorists are obliged to pass the
\nemission test to renew their vehicle registration documents.<\/p>\n
Assistant deputy for vehicle emissions at the Office of the
\nState Minister of the Environment Ridwan Tamin said on Thursday
\nthat the ongoing revision of Ministerial Decree No. 35\/1993 on
\nvehicle emission standards was scheduled to be completed by the
\nend of this year.<\/p>\n
\"We are still discussing it (the revision) with automotive
\nexperts and local administrations to ensure that the new standard
\nis comprehensive and applicable nationwide,\" he told The Jakarta
\nPost.<\/p>\n
Tamin said discussions had taken longer than estimated because
\nthey had to take into account Law No. 22\/1999 on regional
\nautonomy, Law No. 23\/1997 on the environment and Law No. 14\/1992
\non traffic.<\/p>\n
The current emission standard stipulates that gasoline-fueled
\ncars emit a maximum of 4.5 percent carbon monoxide (CO) and 2,400
\nparts per million (ppm) of hydrocarbons (HC). The smoke opacity
\nof diesel-fueled cars is limited to 25 percent.<\/p>\n
The new standard will also take into account the results of a
\nrecent emission test in greater Jakarta in May. In a random spot
\ncheck involving 2,034 cars, more than 60 percent of diesel-fueled
\nprivate vehicles and 36.2 percent of those that were gasoline-
\nfueled failed to meet the emission standards.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has applied tougher standards since 2000, requiring
\ncars with injection systems not to exceed 3 percent CO and 600
\nppm of HC.<\/p>\n
Jakartans must have their vehicles tested at least once a year
\nat one of 50 appointed garages.<\/p>\n
Tamin said his office had issued Ministerial Decree No.
\n141\/2003, requiring all new vehicles to meet the Euro 2 standard.
\nThe decree will become effective on Jan. 1, 2005.<\/p>\n
Euro 2, which came into effect in Europe in 1996, permits
\nexhaust emissions of nitrous oxide of 7.0 grams per kilowatt-
\nhour, hydrocarbons 1.1 g\/kWh, carbon monoxide 4.0 g\/kWh and
\nparticulates 0.15 g\/kWh.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, attempts to apply emission stickers to vehicle
\nregistration documents in a bid to raise public awareness are
\nstill far from realization.<\/p>\n
The idea of issuing differently colored stickers, depending on
\nwhether vehicles comply with the regulation or not, arose during
\na discussion organized by the Pelangi Foundation on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Vehicles passing the emission tests would be given green
\nstickers, while those that did not would get red ones,\" said
\nMohamad Thamzil, head of the directorate of urban transportation
\nimpact at the Ministry of Communications.<\/p>\n
\"The emission tests will be voluntary and we won't ban
\nvehicles that fail the test because we need to familiarize the
\npublic with the issue.\"<\/p>\n
Thamzil said the approach had been in use in India since 1998.<\/p>\n
He added that if someone buying a vehicle found that it had a
\nred sticker, they would relate it to fuel quality. In the end,
\nthe public would pressure the government to produce more
\nenvironmentally friendly fuel.<\/p>\n
However, some Jakartans have already questioned the
\neffectiveness of the scheme.<\/p>\n
Eka, a salesgirl at car dealer Mobil88, said the proposed idea
\nwould only create a nuisance for her company and customers.<\/p>\n
\"Unless the emission test and labeling are free of charge,
\ncustomers will question them and probably cancel their car
\npurchases,\" she said.<\/p>\n
As for Danny, a private car owner, the scheme would merely
\nprovide an opportunity for corruption.<\/p>\n
\"Motorists can simply go to an authorized garage and bribe the
\nmechanic for a green sticker,\" he said. \"If the objective is to
\ncause 'public humiliation', the stickers should be put on the
\nvehicle registration plates so that everybody can see them.\"<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/vehicle-emission-standards-to-be-delayed-again-1447893297",
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