Integrate clean air campaign with car policy: Walhi

JAKARTA (JP): Cheap cars should be part of the drive to reduce air pollution, an environmental group said yesterday.

Arimbi Heroepoetri, the deputy director of the non-government organization Walhi (the Indonesian Environment Forum), said this would support the new policy which rules government cars in Jakarta have to use natural gas.

"We give thumbs up to the initiative," Arimbi said, responding to State Minister of Environment Sarwono Kusumaatmadja's announcement of the policy Tuesday.

Sarwono had said government cars would start using natural gas but did not give a deadline for this to happen. He said notices had been sent to all government offices in the city.

Meanwhile, the City Council in its proposed 1997/1998 budget allocated Rp 1.5 billion to convert municipality vehicles to take liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or compressed natural gas (CNG).

Arimbi said the public would probably follow the initiative only if the cars they bought could already use LPG or CNG.

"Furthermore, more and more people will buy cars because of the national cheap car policy," Arimbi said.

She was referring to the national car policy which has resulted in the Timor car costing Rp 37,750,000 (US$15,800).

"We know most of our air pollution is from transportation," she said.

Arimbi said new cheap cars should use LPG or CNG.

She said partial measures would not be effective.

Walhi and other environmental groups have said only natural gas or unleaded fuel should be used but not all gas stations sell these fuels. At Rp 975 per liter, unleaded fuel or Super TT is still more expensive than regular fuel.

Sarwono said his office was preparing to convert 17 Kijang vans to use unleaded fuels.

"My Volvo will also be converted," he said.

He said it was important the public saw government officials were the first to adopt the new policy.

Sarwono said he would submit the policy to the municipality.

Jakarta has 2.5 million vehicles and 153 stations for diesel fuel and gasoline. Eleven have agreed to provide natural gas. Thirteen stations also include compressed natural gas.

So far only Jakarta has stations with natural gas so cars need a tank for unleaded fuel and another for regular fuel so the cars can leave the city.

Arimbi spoke of the recent spot emission checks of 5,000 cars, stage two of a three-stage program.

City's environment bureau officials said when the 1992 Traffic and Land Transport Law becomes effective in September emission test results might be linked to issuing car ownership permits.

This would mean people whose cars who fail emission tests would not have their car ownership documents extended.

"We also support this policy, but if people can still get their permits with a Rp 100,000 bribe then it won't do any good," Arimbi said. (anr)