City to launch clean air project

City to launch clean air project

JAKARTA (JP): The city administration and the Swisscontact
foundation of Switzerland have joined forces to implement a clean
air project worth Rp 7.5 billion, with the aim of lowering fuel
consumption and vehicle emissions in the capital.

A cooperation agreement for the project was signed on Monday
by Prawoto S. Danoemihardjo, head of the regional environmental
impact management agency (Bapedalda) and Hugo Sager and Peter
Bissegger of the Swiss foundation for technical cooperation.

Commencing on April 9, the project will train employees of
vehicle repair shops in inspection and maintenance of vehicle
systems.

Project manager, Sager, said 200 vehicle repair shops,
equipped with emission test machines and staffed by skilled
employees, would be involved in the project.

"The 200 repair shops comprise about 300 repair shops which
have been equipped with emission test machines in the city," he
said, adding that many employees were reluctant to use them due
to lack of information.

Sager said the project would be totally funded by a Swiss
government grant scheme.

"Swiss people are concerned about environmental affairs, as
pollution in all countries will impact other inhabitants -- we
only have one earth," he said.

Jakarta's air quality has been declining over the last few
years. It is estimated that 70 percent of the pollution
originates from vehicular emissions, Bapedalda's release said.

Prawoto said that in the first stage, only private car owners
would be obliged annually to undergo emission tests and vehicle
maintenance.

In the future, emission test certificates would be one of the
requirements to obtain or extend vehicle ownership documents, he
said. (ind)