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)