Prison terms await motorists with polluting cars

Indra Harsaputra, The Jakarta Post, Surabaya

Suwito, the owner of an auto repair shop, was very pleased when he learned of Surabaya municipality's plan to implement a bylaw on emission inspections for motor vehicles.

"I very much agree because besides making Surabaya's air cleaner, it's a great chance for auto repair shop owners to make additional profits," he told The Jakarta Post.

Should the regulation be implemented, added Suwito, the alarming level of air pollution in Surabaya could be reduced, meaning it could minimize health risks such as respiratory infections, an affliction that many Surabaya residents suffer from.

The number of people with upper respiratory tract infections in Surabaya was 401,362 in 2002, while the number of those suffering from other respiratory diseases was 100,634 in the same year.

Surabaya is Indonesia's "second city" after Jakarta, but contributes the most in terms of air pollution.

As an illustration, the 2.4 million inhabitants of Surabaya can only enjoy clean air for an average of between 22 to 56 days each year.

A research project conducted by the Bandung Institute of Technology in 1995 showed carbon monoxide emissions in Surabaya reached 5.5 million tons annually, 96 percent of which were contributed by motor vehicles. That figure is estimated to have risen each year with the added number of motor vehicles.

The East Java police indicated that the number of private vehicle owners in Surabaya increased by an average of 17 percent each year.

There were 3,314,129 private vehicles in 2000. The number reached 3,747,406 in 2001. From the period of January to August this year, the number of new four-wheeled private vehicles reached 22,503 units, while the number of two-wheeled motor vehicles was double the amount of four-wheeled cars.

The number of four-wheeled public transportation vehicles increased by 7 percent annually. There were 6,600 such vehicles in 2003, consisting of 5,000 minivans, 400 city buses and 1,200 angguna or multi-purpose public pickups.

To push down the level of air pollution in Surabaya, the municipality is now trying to educate the public about the bylaw along with environmental organizations and government agencies.

The municipality is still waiting for input from the public over the contents of the bylaw, which would probably be passed in 2005 and put into effect in 2007.

The municipal administration and a number of environmental organizations, such as Oto Point, Sahabat Lingkungan have also conducted emissions trial tests on four-wheeled vehicles in Surabaya.

The emission tests conducted by the environmental organizations in cooperation with Suara Surabaya radio and Kompas newspaper found that 40 percent of the 100 vehicles inspected failed the test.

The draft of the bylaw states that the emission level of each motor vehicle in Surabaya must not exceed the maximum limit of pollutants emitted through their exhaust pipes.

Those in violation are liable to a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/or a fine of up to Rp 50 million (US$5,500.00).

Certificates and stickers are provided by the Surabaya Transportation Office or auto workshops certified by the government.

The issuance of the bylaw may be important to encourage motorists to participate in the emissions tests and later to clear the air in Surabaya city.

It is commonplace to see motorcyclists and pedestrians with masks on to mitigate the effects of air pollution, which is already at an alarming level.

From a business perspective, the passing of the bylaw may be a boon to auto workshop owners in Surabaya because every vehicle owner will routinely inspect their vehicles' to avoid prison sentences or fines.

Besides getting paid for repairs and services, they will also gain profits from gas emission tests.

Each vehicle will likely be charged Rp 20,000 for a test.