Jakarta's air pollution

I was interested to read on The Jakarta Post's front page Aug. 6 of the administration's "strong efforts" to reduce Jakarta's air pollution.

I have lived in the city for five years and would like to make the following observations:

* Buses and trucks continuously belch out volumes of filthy black smoke without being stopped.

* The humble bajaj (motorized three-wheel vehicle) is allowed to leave long spumes of foul blue smoke behind it, unchecked.

* Police stand by watching drivers circumvent Jakarta's only traffic reduction regulation by picking up three-in-one kids.

* Poor road junction design means that many journeys involve considerable distances of doubling back -- sometimes twice in one journey.

* Badly phased and inoperative traffic lights lengthen journey times.

* Unleaded petrol is not available.

* Every year, it has been reported that construction of an underground rail system will begin the following year. Nothing happens (This year's announcement appeared in The Jakarta Post on July 27).

The problems now facing Indonesia are daunting, but let no one suffer from any delusions -- Jakarta's air quality is not, and never has been, high on the authorities' priority list.

Name and address

known to the editor