City not to be kept totally in the dark

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Jakarta city administration said Monday that it would maintain full street lighting in public places across the capital due to fears of rising crime, despite its policy of reducing street illumination as part of energy-saving measures.

City spokesman Catur Laswanto said lights in public places where crowds often gather such as bus terminals, bus stops, river banks and streets in residential areas, would not be reduced at night in order to enable police and security personnel to better monitor the locations.

"We don't want the energy-saving drive to be implemented at the expense of security in the city," he told reporters at City Hall.

Street lamps would remain on at locations prone to crime and traffic accidents, like major intersections and underpasses.

Aside from those public places, illumination at vital places, like the State Palace, foreign embassies, police posts, places of worship and hospitals, would not be reduced.

Acting head of City Public Illumination and Road Infrastructure Agency, Ismaun, said that his agency would halve the use of lamps at city thoroughfares, main streets, pavements, front yards of city offices, and public and community parks.

"Ornamental illumination at city statues, trees, as well as along streets will be completely switched off, except on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays," Ismaun said.

Public cemeteries will be the darkest places in the city with the administration turning off all lights.

In addition to the reduction in the use of lighting, the administration has also called on Jakarta residents, especially building owners in the city, to reduce use of air-conditioners, escalators, lifts, and electrical appliances in order to conserve energy.

"The energy-conserving measures include reduction in the operation of electricity-powered appliances; the use of energy- saving lamps and appliances; the setting of air-conditioners to 25 degrees Celsius; the reduction in the use of escalators and lifts; and the reduction of unnecessary lamps," said Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso in his circular issued on July 12.

Although the circular does not mention sanctions against parties not complying with the circular, Sutiyoso has threatened to impose "stern sanctions" on building owners who fail to abide by the ruling, including revoking their permits, though it is unclear if such sanctions have any basis in law.

Sutiyoso is scheduled to carry out spot checks on the implementation of his directives sometime this week.

The gubernatorial directive is a response to Presidential Instruction No. 10/2005 on energy conservation. The instruction requires officials in central and local administrations to issue directives requiring the saving of energy.

The instruction also states that local administrations should promote the program among the public and private sector in their respective regions by taking various measures to conserve energy, including higher vehicular taxes, higher parking fees and extensive traffic constraint policies.

The Jakarta administration said that it would not impose such extensive measures in the capital, arguing that it was still struggling to improve the city's public transportation system.