JAKARTA. The Committee for Leaded Gasoline Eradication (KPBB) has suggested that the city administration once again promote emission tests for vehicles as the number of vehicles undergoing the test has decreased by the year. KPBB chairman Ahmad Safrudin recently said at a public discussion on emission tests that the city administration should begin re-promoting emission tests as air pollution in the capital city was worsening. “The number of vehicles in Jakarta has significantly increased but emission tests, which can check whether vehicles produce excessive pollution, are rarely conducted,” he said.KPBB data indicates that the total number of motorized vehicles in the country will reach 50 million in 2014, with 1.2 million more cars clogging the city’s roads.Ahmad said based on 2010 data, 57.8 percent of people who fell ill in Jakarta suffered from ailments caused by air pollution. “More than 1 million people suffer from bronchial asthma, around 2.4 million people from acute respiratory tract infection and more than 1 million from coronary artery disease,” he said. Ahmad said around Rp 38.5 trillion (US$3.403 billion) was spent annually on treating the diseases. According to Ahmad, the city administration is equipped with adequate regulations regarding emission tests.The 2009 Traffic Law stipulates that each vehicle on the road must meet emission and noise standards set by the government. Jakarta also issued Bylaw No. 2/2005 on air pollution control. The bylaw regulates that every motorized vehicle should undergo an emission test every six months. Ahmad said he urged the city administration to conduct random tests, in cooperation with the Jakarta Police, and fine car owners that did not have their cars tested. “However, in the first few months just give them a warning,” he said. Ahmad added that the city administration should encourage vehicle workshops to equip themselves to conduct emission tests. “The ideal number of workshops that can conduct the tests is 500, but we currently have only around 300,” he said. The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency’s (BPLHD) pollution mitigation department head, Rosa Ambarsari, said fewer than 5,000 vehicles were tested last year while in 2012 the number reached 11,000.Rosa said the decreasing number was due to people’s perception that it made no difference whether they tested their vehicles or not as law enforcement was weak. BPLHD issued special stickers to vehicles that passed the test, but stopped after there were indications of graft in the procurement of the stickers.
City urged to promote emission tests
JAKARTA. The Committee for Leaded Gasoline Eradication (KPBB) has suggested that the city administration once again promote emission tests for vehicles as the number of vehicles undergoing the test has decreased by the year. KPBB chairman Ahmad Safrudin recently said at a public discussion on emission tests that the city administration should begin re-promoting emission tests as air pollution in the capital city was worsening. “The number of vehicles in Jakarta has significantly increased but emission tests, which can check whether vehicles produce excessive pollution, are rarely conducted,” he said.KPBB data indicates that the total number of motorized vehicles in the country will reach 50 million in 2014, with 1.2 million more cars clogging the city’s roads.Ahmad said based on 2010 data, 57.8 percent of people who fell ill in Jakarta suffered from ailments caused by air pollution. “More than 1 million people suffer from bronchial asthma, around 2.4 million people from acute respiratory tract infection and more than 1 million from coronary artery disease,” he said. Ahmad said around Rp 38.5 trillion (US$3.403 billion) was spent annually on treating the diseases. According to Ahmad, the city administration is equipped with adequate regulations regarding emission tests.The 2009 Traffic Law stipulates that each vehicle on the road must meet emission and noise standards set by the government. Jakarta also issued Bylaw No. 2/2005 on air pollution control. The bylaw regulates that every motorized vehicle should undergo an emission test every six months. Ahmad said he urged the city administration to conduct random tests, in cooperation with the Jakarta Police, and fine car owners that did not have their cars tested. “However, in the first few months just give them a warning,” he said. Ahmad added that the city administration should encourage vehicle workshops to equip themselves to conduct emission tests. “The ideal number of workshops that can conduct the tests is 500, but we currently have only around 300,” he said. The Jakarta Environmental Management Agency’s (BPLHD) pollution mitigation department head, Rosa Ambarsari, said fewer than 5,000 vehicles were tested last year while in 2012 the number reached 11,000.Rosa said the decreasing number was due to people’s perception that it made no difference whether they tested their vehicles or not as law enforcement was weak. BPLHD issued special stickers to vehicles that passed the test, but stopped after there were indications of graft in the procurement of the stickers.
