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.