Councilor wants more pollution controls

JAKARTA (JP): A city councilor called for more facilities for vehicle emission testing to support an upcoming policy on banning polluting buses and trucks in certain areas.

Bandjar Marpaung who heads Commission D for development affairs said yesterday the policy, to be effective in September, would be a good start to reduce air pollution.

"We don't want to be labeled the world's third worst polluted city forever," he said.

Bandjar was responding to a statement by the head of the city's environment bureau Aboejoewono Aboeprajitno, who said certain areas would only allow public and delivery transportation vehicles with green stickers to pass through.

The stickers would be issued to vehicles which pass emission tests.

More natural gas pumps must also be provided to encourage truck and bus owners to change to compressed natural gas or liquefied gas, Bandjar said.

The policy, in line with preparations to implement the 1994 Traffic and Road Transport Law, follows a series of spot checks conducted last year and in January.

Owners of privately owned cars would be given one year to improve their emission, Aboejoewono said.

Added facilities to check emission would encourage improvement, Bandjar said. Currently the facilities are limited to Pulo Gadung in East Jakarta, Kalideres in West Jakarta and Jagakarsa in South Jakarta.

Aboejoewono also reiterated failure to pass emission tests would mean motorists would not be able to extend their vehicle ownership documents.

He added that certain areas would also be designated for only pedestrians on Sundays. (anr)