45 percent of vehicles fail emission tests
45 percent of vehicles fail emission tests
JAKARTA (JP): Tentative results of vehicle emission tests at
13 city sites show 45 percent of the 4,032 vehicles tested failed
the tests, an official said yesterday.
City Environment Bureau simulated environment program head
Kosasih Wirahadikusumah said the test results were better than in
1996, when 67 percent of the 1,307 vehicles tested failed."
The emission tests, which were conducted from Monday to
Thursday in 19 city sites, targeted 5,000 vehicles.
Of the 4,032 vehicles tested, 2,290 used gasoline and the
remaining 1,742 used diesel fuel.
The test result from six spots were not yet completed, Kosasih
said. The six sites were on Jl. Raya Bekasi, East Jakarta, Jl.
Daan Mogot, West Jakarta, Jl. Raya Cacing, North Jakarta, and Jl.
Gunung Sahari, Jl.KH. Mas Mansyur and Jl. Asia Afrika, all
Central Jakarta.
"Many vehicles using diesel fuel failed, while many using
gasoline passed," he said.
He expected the test results would remain the same after all
test sites submitted their results.
This round of tests, part of the city's 'blue sky' campaign to
curb air pollution, was the second in a three-test series. The
first round was held last June and the third is scheduled for
next month.
The series involves distributing 25,000 questionnaires to
motorists and testing 10,000 vehicles.
PT Pos Indonesia must receive the questionnaires by March 1.
State research firm PT Sucofindo's automotive verification and
testing division will then process the questionnaires .
The results are expected to reveal the public's knowledge and
opinion of Jakarta's air pollution.
Questions include how much motorists spend on vehicle
maintenance, motorists' opinions on Jakarta's air quality and
whether motorists whose vehicles fail emissions should be denied
an extension of their car ownership document.
The questionnaire also includes a sheet with information on
pollutants and the health problems they cause.
The tests record the level of hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide
vehicles using gasoline emit and how much smoke vehicles using
diesel fuel emit.
A 1990 gubernatorial law states the tolerable level for
pollutants for cars using gasoline is 4.5 for carbon monoxide and
1.200 for hydrocarbon.
"More than 60 percent of air pollution is caused by
emissions," Kosasih said.
He said he hoped motorists took proper care of their vehicles
and had them services regularly to reduce air pollution.
The head of the bureau, Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno, said earlier
they only tested for three substances which were the most
feasible to conduct tests on. The use of unleaded fuels are still
limited so they did not test for lead, he said.
Kosasih reminded motorists the 1992 Traffic and Road Transport
Law would become effective in September. This means motorists
have less than a year to take care of their vehicles and improve
their engine's performance. (ste)