City cannot ban operation of old cars, Surjadi says
City cannot ban operation of old cars, Surjadi says
JAKARTA (JP): Old cars cannot be banned although a survey here
revealed that most vehicles produced before 1980 failed exhaust
emission tests.
Yesterday Governor Surjadi Soedirdja said it was impossible to
ban old cars as not everyone could replace their car in a short
time.
"Even more (financially) capable people would think twice
about replacing their cars if they could still use their old
one," Surjadi said.
"So we have to adjust policies in accordance with developments
among the public," he said.
He was responding to the results of a survey by PT Sucofindo,
which helped the city compile the results of its spot checks on
the quality of vehicle emissions. The tests were conducted in
June last year and January and March this year.
The results were announced yesterday at the 16th discussion of
an informal group called the Environment Communication Forum.
The report said 10,880 vehicles were tested. Fifty-seven
percent of the vehicles produced before 1980 had emission levels
above permitted levels of smoke, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and
hydrocarbons.
"The older a vehicle using gasoline, the worse its emission
quality," the report said.
Of the 10,880 vehicles, 45.7 percent failed the tests while
54.3 percent, passed.
The Governor said vehicle owners should be better informed of
the importance of regular checks at service stations given the
fact that many old cars had passed the tests.
"If we banned cars because they failed tests, we would be
labeled inhumane," he said.
But whatever the survey results were, he said, it was typical
of people here to wait for a disaster before being spurned into
action.
In the spot checks 10,000 questionnaires were distributed to
gauge the public's response to the emission tests, but only 441
were returned.
Of the respondents, 83 percent said Greater Jakarta's air
pollution had reached a serious level.
Most people, or 49.5 percent, said Jakarta's pollution was
caused by the uncaring attitude of vehicle owners.
Surjadi further reminded the public that 1992 Law no. 14 on
Traffic and Land Transport would become effective in September.
People should prepare by improving vehicle maintenance, he said.
Many respondents, 45.8 percent, agreed that vehicles failing
emission tests should be ticketed. Also, 56.4 percent agreed that
requests for extensions of vehicle ownership documents should be
linked to emission test results.
Most, or 48.6 percent, said they did not know there was a rule
on vehicle emission, while 79.8 percent said they regularly had
their vehicles checked.
Article 54 of the 1992 law states that owners of vehicles
proved unfit to operate could face a three month jail sentence or
be fined up to Rp 3 million.
Unleaded gas
At the same forum, the Association of Indonesian Automotive
Industries, Gaikindo, urged the government to make unleaded fuel
cheaper than leaded fuel.
Its chairman Herman Z. Latif said it was "ironic" that the
available unleaded fuel, Super TT, was more expensive than leaded
fuel, although the government had announced its commitment to
improving the environment.
"In other countries unleaded gasoline is cheaper than leaded
gasoline to encourage consumers," Herman said.
Saut M. Lubis, a consultant at the State Ministry of
Environment, earlier said making unleaded gasoline cheaper than
the leaded type was an urgent and practical measure.
Minister of Energy and Mines I.B. Sudjana said Sunday the
country would be free of leaded gasoline in 1999.
Saut said this was a positive measure, although accumulated
lead in the air would only be reduced slowly, he said.
More gas stations should immediately begin selling Super TT,
Saut and Herman separately said. (ste/anr)