Car owners urged to save fuel

The government called on Wednesday for car owners to restrain their penchant for traveling in order to cut down on fuel consumption, warning that the country could face a fuel shortage, should the Iraq war break out.

Aside from urging people to cut down on fuel consumption, the government also planned to arrange a system to further cut down on the nation's fuel consumption.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said the government might impose a quota system for the use of fuel by motorists.

"We will consider (implementing) a shift system, in which owners of cars take turns buying gasoline.

"For instance, if today is the time for cars with odd plate numbers to buy gasoline, tomorrow is the time to buy for those who have even car plate numbers," Jusuf told reporters after a coordination ministerial meeting here.

Jusuf said the plan could be dropped if an Iraq war was short and caused no impact on the country's fuel supplies. --JP