Emission tests bring smiles and protests

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)