City to open new gas fuel pumps

City to open new gas fuel pumps

JAKARTA (JP): The city will officially open new gas pumps at
11 filling stations as part of the blue sky air pollution
campaign on Dec. 20, an official said yesterday.

TB. M. Rais, the deputy governor in charge of development and
economic affairs, said the stations would provide gasoline and
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).

Now there are only three gas stations which supply LPG and
these are for taxis. So far several taxi companies have used
compressed natural gas (CNG).

Some 4,000 taxis have converted to LPG and CNG, in line with
the city's blue sky campaign to reduce air pollution.

The state oil company, Pertamina, intends to phase out leaded
gasoline. The alternatives to leaded fuel are LPG, compressed
natural gas and unleaded gas (Super TT).

At the 11 stations, one leaded gas pump will be replaced by an
LPG pump.

"This will help reduce the use of leaded gasoline fuel in the
city," Rais said.

In the future people will be able to choose unleaded gas or
natural gas at all stations, he said.

The government is stepping up its campaign for environmentally
safer fuel.

On Saturday, State Minister of Environment Sarwono
Kusumaatmadja authorized an agreement between a private LPG
supplier and the West Java provincial government to build LPG
filling stations. The agreement includes parts of greater
Jakarta.

Rais said the 11 stations were in designated green areas.

The decision to install gas fuel pumps at stations in green
areas was to compensate for canceled plans to relocate gas
stations from those areas.

The city planned to relocate 33 gas stations from green areas
but Pertamina said it could disrupt the area's gas supply.

The administration has vowed to clean up its green areas.

Finally, it was decided the gas stations in green areas should
supply natural gas to help curb air pollution.

An environmental research center study found car fumes caused
67 percent of the city's air pollution.

Lead, used to increase gasoline's octane power, was found to
be one of the most harmful pollutants. Consumption of lead
particles in the cardiovascular system has been found to harm the
nervous system and cause other health problems.

Pertamina's efforts to popularize Super TT is yet to be
successful because leaded gas is cheaper.

Super TT, now sold at eight gas stations in Jakarta, was
lowered to Rp 975 from Rp 1,000 last week.

A Pertamina source said Pertamina planned to increase the
supply of Super TT next year. The source could not say how many
more gas stations would sell unleaded fuel.

Sugestiawan, an executive of PT Elnusa which distributes Super
TT, said sales had increased 10 percent since Pertamina lowered
the price.

The increase was particularly noticed at the gas stations on
Jl. Jend. Sudirman and Jl. Kayu Putih in Kelapa Gading,
Sugestiawan said. (02/anr)