Jakarta's air pollution

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