Experts say old cars more problematic

Experts say old cars more problematic

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

Ken, an employee of a media company in Jakarta, travels to work
every day in his 1980 Datsun.

"I have no problems with my car. It never breaks down. I only
have routine expenses, such as the cost of changing the brake
fluid and engine oil as well as spending around Rp 2 million once
every several years to overhaul the engine. But that doesn't
bother me," he told The Jakarta Post.

By diligently maintaining his car, he doubts it causes more
pollution or consumes more fuel than a new car.

However, vehicle experts say that Ken's car is just one case.

Noted mechanic and owner of several auto repair shops in
Jakarta, Jimmy Lukita, said on Friday that the engines of most
old cars could no longer burn the fuel optimally after years of
use.

"In general, most old cars aged 10 years or more, which still
have their original engines, have an imperfect combustion system
and produce more pollutants than new cars. Only a few cars, those
well-maintained, can be compared to new cars," he told The
Jakarta Post.

Jimmy said that many old cars would not pass an emission test
as they would produce over 4 percent of carbon monoxide, the
maximum level of carbon monoxide cars are allowed to produce
according to the law.

While acknowledging that some old cars consume the same amount
of fuel as new cars, Jimmy said the imperfect combustion process
made most old cars consume more fuel and also resulted in higher
maintenance costs.

The Jakarta Police are planning to force old vehicles off the
capital's roads by handing over the registration process to
regions outside Jakarta. It is unclear whether the move is
intended to reduce the number of vehicles, to support the energy
conservation campaign or to minimize air pollution.

But the central government earlier considered banning vehicles
the over a certain age to limit the number of private cars on the
roads.

Jakarta has over six million vehicles, while experts on urban
transportation say the city's streets can only accommodate four
million vehicles, otherwise pollution and traffic congestion
became unbearable.

Jimmy suggested the city administration gradually phase out
old cars from the capital.

"For instance, the city administration could begin to scrap
cars older than 15 years as cars that old normally have traveled
over 300,000 kilometers," Jimmy said.

He also suggested that old cars in good condition could be a
allowed on the streets if they passed emission and roadworthy
tests. "If the cars can pass the tests then there would be no
reason to scrap them."

Urban transportation expert Ahmad Syafrudin suggested that the
government give a two-year transitional period for owners of old
cars to adjustment to the idea as sudden enforcement may raise
strong protests as not everyone can afford to purchase new
models.

"In two years, the government can promote the program to avoid
public outcry. Within that grace period, the government could
also arrange easy credit schemes for owners of old cars to
replace their vehicles with new ones," he told the Post.

However, he added, limiting a vehicle's lifespan would not
reduce energy consumption as the cars would merely be transferred
to outside Jakarta and would still be on the roads.

"In fact, the program could increase fuel consumption because
the number of new cars would increase while old cars would not be
destroyed," he said.