60% of public transport vehicles are polluters

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A recent survey revealed that nearly 60 percent of 760 public vehicles taken as a sample in the study produced intolerable emission levels although they have passed the roadworthy test conducted by the Jakarta Transportation Agency.

During roadworthy tests all public vehicles are required to have tolerable exhaust emission levels as stipulated in Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000 on vehicular emission standards.

"The result of the survey shows that vehicular emissions of public vehicles were not checked properly during the roadworthy tests," general affairs officer of the Clean Air Care Generation (GPUB) Dian Hasti told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The survey was jointly organized from May 30 to June 3 by several clean air campaigning organizations, including the GPUB, Swisscontact's Clean Air Project and the Jakarta Transportation Agency.

Dian said the organizers tested exhaust emissions of 1,020 public vehicles as samples, but they could obtain valid data from only 760 of them -- 213 vehicles had carburetor engines, 39 had fuel-injection engines, and 508 had diesel engines.

The result of the survey also indicated that public vehicles with fuel-injection engines produced the cleanest emission. From 39 total samples of the survey, only the emissions of six vehicles failed to fulfill the existing standards.

Meanwhile, vehicles with a carburetor engine produced the dirtiest emissions. Around 87 percent of 213 such vehicles produced intolerable emissions.

Surprisingly, however, according to the survey, 52 percent of 508 vehicles with diesel engines had exhaust emission levels that complied with acceptable emission standards. Diesel engines produce visible black smoke and are often perceived as the dirtiest of vehicles in terms of emission levels.

According to the Gubernatorial Decree No. 1041/2000, emission standards of motorized vehicles are based on their respective engine system and age.

As an example, the acceptable emission standard of vehicles with carburetor engines produced before 1985 is 4 percent for carbon monoxide (CO) and 1,000 parts per million (ppm) for Hydrocarbon (HC).

Meanwhile, emission standards of vehicles with injection engines produced between 1986 and 1995 are 3 percent for CO, and 600 ppm for HC.

Dian said that the clean air organizations conducted the survey once a year to evaluate the quality of Jakarta's air, which is ranked the third worst in the world after Mexico City and Bangkok.

"We do not see any improvement in air quality in Jakarta from year to year. It means that all stakeholders must work harder," she said.

Currently, only public and cargo vehicles are required to have their vehicular emissions checked, according to Law No. 14/1992 on transportation.

The city approved Bylaw No. 2/2005 on Air Pollution Control in February, which requires all vehicles, including private ones to take emission tests. The bylaw will be effective starting in February next year.