Emission checks mandatory starting next year

Emission checks mandatory starting next year

Annastashya Emmanuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Emission checks will be mandatory for every vehicle operating in
Jakarta next year and owners will be asked for an emission
clearance certification when applying for or extending vehicle
licenses, the head of the City Environmental Impact Management
Agency (Bapedalda) said on Wednesday.

The agency head, Kosasih Wirahadikusumah, said car owners
would be required to obtain an annual clean emission certificate,
issued by privately-run automobile shops that have been declared
qualified by the city administration, as stipulated in the
Gubernatorial ruling No.95/2000.

The regulation will be implemented in 2002 and apply to
residents of Jakarta.

"Thus far, only public transportation vehicles are required to
undergo emission checks, and its implementation has yet to be
effective," Kosasih told The Jakarta Post.

It is no secret that public transportation vehicles, including
polluting ones, can easily be declared as having passed the
emissions test without actually having to undergo the test
itself.

"Starting next year, all vehicles in Jakarta will be asked for
an emission clearance certification. Otherwise, car owners will
not be permitted to extend or apply for vehicle licenses," he
added.

The program is called Inspection and Maintenance, and is an
initiative of the Multisectoral Action Plan Group, which consists
of various elements of government such as the National
Environmental Impact Management Agency, the city administration,
the State Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and the
Ministry of Transportation.

The group was formed in conjunction with the government's
efforts to phase out the use of leaded gas nationwide, which
commenced in June.

However, it is still unclear when exactly next year the
program will start.

"We are still searching for a conducive and appropriate time
for implementation," Kosasih said.

Emissions from poorly maintained vehicles and the use of
leaded gasoline has contributed significantly to the levels of
air pollution in the city.

According to data from the Environmental Impact Management
Agency (Bapedal), there are 18,975,344 vehicles in the country,
including 4,159,442 in Jakarta that produce lead pollution at a
level of 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter, exceeding the standard
of 1.0 micrograms.