Car emission levels to be checked for free

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration in cooperation with a Switzerland-based nongovernmental organization is to again carry out free street-side emission checks for private cars in the capital, an official said on Monday.

Head of the City Environmental Impact Management Agency, Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno, told reporters that the campaign, which has been conducted annually since 1992, would be held to coincide with Earth Day on June 5.

With the financial support of the Swiss government through Swisscontact in Jakarta, the activity is part of the city's Prodasih (Clean Air Project) and is aimed at reducing the level of vehicle emissions in the capital, which has been alarming, Aboejoewono said.

"We will continue with emission checking programs because the pollution level in Jakarta has been increasing every year," he added.

He said Jakarta's atmosphere had been heavily and continuously polluted by the exhaust fumes from many private and public vehicles due to a lack of proper service and maintenance by their owners.

In its latest test of 722 private cars in September and October last year, the agency found that only 227 vehicles, or 31 percent, met with tolerable emission levels, Aboejoewono said.

However, he gave no other details.

The city administration has set maximum standard emission levels for vehicles using gasoline at 4.5 percent of carbon monoxide and 1,200 ppm (parts per million) of hydrocarbon.

Diesel-powered vehicles' exhaust smoke must have an opacity level of 50 percent.

Tests on public vehicles are carried out by the city Traffic and Land Transportation Agency (DLLAJ).

Aboejoewono did not disclose the amount of money earmarked for expenditure on tests this year, nor the amount spent since 1992.

According to available data, the Swiss government through the Swisscontact office in Jakarta granted Rp 7.5 billion (US$1 million) for last year's activities relating to the city's campaign to clean its air.

Dollaris Riauaty of Swisscontact Jakarta said the organization also conducted its own emission checking tests in Jakarta last November.

"We examined more than 5,000 private vehicles at some 100 auto service stations participating in the campaign," she said.

The results showed an average of 3.49 percent of carbon monoxide and 445 ppm of hydrocarbon.

"About 35 percent of the cars tested failed to meet Jakarta's (tolerable) emission standard," Dollaris said on Monday.

She also suggested that local authorities review the standard level and formulate tougher regulations.

For example, cars made before 1985, she said, should emit less than 4 percent of carbon monoxide and 900 ppm of hydrocarbon. Those manufactured between 1986 and 1995 using a carburetor should not exceed 3.5 percent of carbon monoxide and 750 ppm of hydrocarbon, while those with an injection system should emit a maximum of 600 ppm of hydrocarbon.

Those cars released after 1996 using carburetors should not exceed 3.0 percent of carbon monoxide and 600 ppm of hydrocarbon. Cars equipped with injection systems should emit less than 2.5 percent of carbon monoxide and 400 ppm of hydrocarbon.

"The proposed standards could be easily met as long as the owners maintain routine services for their cars," Dollaris said.

"Routine maintenance will also save 65 million liters of fuel each year. That's about five percent of Jakarta's yearly fuel consumption," Dollaris explained.

The program will provide free emission tests to the public until next year.

After 2001 the test will no longer be free, Aboejoewono said, adding that the fares for the emission test had yet to be fixed.

Also starting from 2001, all owners of vehicles required to renew their vehicle documents will be obliged to reveal the emission levels of their cars, he added.

However, the plan has yet to be discussed by his office with other related bodies.

Dollaris added, "Participating service stations can issue the emission level certificates as long as they have necessary equipment and certified operators."

State-owned PT Sucofindo would certify the stations and operators before they could issue emission level certificates, she added.

Interviewed separately, councilor Sayogo Hendrosubroto of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) said:

"I suggest that the emission tests are conducted by the car manufacturers or their agents here instead of by private service stations, since the latter could misuse the authority given to them to issue the certificates by asking for illegal fees," he said. (nvn)