Authoroties must enforce public transportation emission levels
Authoroties must enforce public transportation emission levels
Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Motorists have welcomed a voluntary emission test program for
privately owned vehicles in the city, but they stressed that it
should not be made mandatory until the city administration is
able to control the emissions of public service and business
vehicles.
They said the move, which started on Wednesday, to control
vehicle emissions in the private sector would not significantly
contribute to the effort to reduce air pollution if the city
administration did not take action against business and public
service vehicles that violate acceptable emission levels.
"I welcome this move, but what I see on the street is that
public transportation, like city buses, contribute the most to
air pollution," said Johanes Suprianto, who lives in Pondok Gede,
East Jakarta.
For business and public service vehicles, passing an emission
test is part of the requirements for obtaining a roadworthy
certificate, but the test is not effective as the process is
marred by corruption.
The administration launched on Wednesday a one-year campaign
for testing the emissions of privately owned vehicles. Fifteen
repair shops have been certified by the city administration to
conduct the test. Owners of the cars that pass will receive a
certificate and a sticker from the repair shop certifying that
their vehicles' emissions meet the required level.
The bylaw, which will become a legal standard of emissions for
privately owned vehicles, is expected to be passed within the
next 12 months.
"We know that emission tests are required for public
transportation to get roadworthy certificates, but nearly all
city buses spew black fumes from their tailpipes," said Najib, an
employee of a private company in Senen, Central Jakarta.
Bobby RS, head of the service department at the Auto 2000
repair shop in Cempaka Putih, Central Jakarta, said the charge
for emissions test is Rp 35,000. If the car does not pass the
test, it should be tuned up, which may or may not require
replacing certain spare parts. If the car's engine experiences
serious damage it should have an overhaul.
Head of Precision Tune Auto Care's repair shop in Cawang, East
Jakarta Supriyanto said his shop charges motorists Rp 36,000 for
the vehicle emissions test.
"No motorists hardly come here only for the emissions test, I
do not know if there will be more after the campaign is
launched," he said.
Transportation contributes 65 percent to air pollution in the
city. Emissions from privately owned cars share 55 percent of the
blame for air pollution, while motorcycles make up 26 percent,
and public transportation and business owned vehicles contribute
19 percent.