'If it's about clean air, what about factories?'

The City Council has dropped its own idea to introduce vehicle age restrictions into the draft of the new air pollution bylaw on Monday, realizing the enormous cost that it would impose, and with the city administration yet to provide adequate public transport as an alternative to private vehicles. The Jakarta Post asked residents about their opinion on the issue.

Sarah, 28, is a housewife. She lives with her husband and daughter in Tebet, South Jakarta:

It's a good idea if we want to reduce the number of private cars traversing the city.

But I'm afraid the authority has gone too far in saying that old vehicles cause air pollution.

If the issue is actually about clean air, then the officials should walk out from their air-conditioned offices and cars and go to the city's outskirts to see what they won't see along the city's main thoroughfares.

They have to see how factories just release gases and black smoke from industrial processes into the air without any treatment, showering the ground and nearby houses with thick ash.

I want our administration and council to focus on the issues they are working on, and to not to try and mislead us.

Wawan, 26, is an employee of a printing company in Central Jakarta. He lives with his family in Cilandak, South Jakarta:

I disagree with the policy to limit the age of cars in Jakarta because we are simply not ready.

It's not just because I have an eight-year-old Toyota but those who can't afford the latest models are only the rich ones, while people from the low- to middle-income brackets can only buy old cars. It is totally unfair.

I can understand that the policy will limit the number of cars in Jakarta, hence decrease the level of pollution and traffic jams.

But the city administration has to work on the city's transportation system first before implementing the policy.

You can't just tell people to dump their car but at the same time not provide good public transportation.

To be honest, I do not feel secure or comfortable in public transport such as buses and trains under current conditions because pickpocketing and robbery are rampant.

--The Jakarta Post