Emission tests bring smiles and protests
JAKARTA (JP): Anxiety changed to smiles yesterday as motorists and passengers on the second day of spot emission checks found out why they were being stopped by police officers.
"The pleasure is mine," one driver, Purwadi, told a team member doing the tests. The officer then thanked him for his cooperation.
Like many others, Purwadi got a sticker stating "emission above permitted rates" and a friendly piece of advice that it was time for him to visit his service station.
"I think it's been three weeks since I took the car for a tune up," he told the officer at the test site on Jl. Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta.
Some passengers protested, saying that they were in a hurry and that the tests should not be conducted in the morning. The testing of 100 vehicles using gas and natural gas, and 100 others using diesel fuel, was carried out from 8:30 until noon.
The testing as well as the recording of license plates, car makes and years and last service station visits took about two minutes per vehicle, though the vehicles had to wait five minutes for their turn.
However, one sullen-looking passenger finally smiled when he was handed a form stating that his car's emissions were at an acceptable level. He was given a green sticker stating "emission below permitted rates" and a triangle-shaped banner depicting the city's mascot, a smiling eagle.
The writing on the banner says "Thank you for your participation in keeping the air clean in our beloved city."
The results of yesterday's tests have yet to be made available by the city's environmental bureau, but the tests revealed that new vehicles also produce pollutants at higher than tolerable levels, while the emissions of some older cars were well below the maximum levels.
One 1996 Espass Daihatsu minivan was found to have a 5.98 level of carbon monoxide (CO), which is above the tolerated level of 4.5 for cars using gas.
CO from a 1992 taxi using compressed natural gas reached 6.24, more than twice the tolerable level of 3. Members of the emissions team said this was unusual for cars using natural gas.
On the other hand, a 1990 Laser taxi had a CO level of 0.25 and hydrocarbon of 514, far below the level of 1,200 for the latter pollutant.
Tolerable levels are specified in a 1990 gubernatorial decree on air pollutants.
Another driver said he agreed that the emission tests, part of the city's campaign to promote air pollution awareness, is important.
"The air here is dreadful, but it's mostly because of the buses, right?" he said.
An officer in a yellow uniform vest told him that private cars also produce pollutants.
Contrary to this impression, a number of buses rated well. The diesel smoke meter attached to their exhaust systems showed the level of smoke below 50, the tolerable level of smoke for vehicles using diesel fuel.
Officers in blue from the land transport agency, usually feared by drivers for their sudden traffic checks, were friendly and informative.
"Keep it up, visit your garage regularly!" one officer said.
Passengers packed into buses craned their necks to watch the smoke testing being done by officers, whose faces ended up soiled and black.
The teams were made up of members from the city's environmental bureau, the urban environment research center and the land transport agency, in addition to police and students from various universities, particularly those majoring in environmental studies.
Today the tests will be carried out in Kramat Jati on Jl. Raya Bogor.
Purwoto, the head of urban ecology at the urban environmental research center, told The Jakarta Post that regular visits to service stations won't necessarily guarantee lower levels of pollution.
"Some people want high powered engines, and this affects the fuel burning system and results in more carbon monoxide," he said.
Another officer said a number of garages, such as those for the Kramayudha and Indomobil companies, standardize emission levels of their new vehicles.
The tests will be conducted again from Tuesday until Thursday. (anr)