No emission stickers, no parking in our lots

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Mon, 11/30/2009 11:39 AM

Jakarta Governor Fauzi Bowo said Sunday the city administration would only allow cars that have passed emission tests to use the city offices’ parking areas.

“We are moving forward on air quality improvement. Beginning Monday, two parking areas in the city hall will only allow cars that have emission test stickers to park inside,” Fauzi said during Car Free Day at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.

This new arrangement will also be applied to sections of the parking area at the National Monument (Monas) park in Central Jakarta.

“This policy will also be applied in other city offices. This is our way of raising public awareness about the importance of emission testing,” he said.

Ridwan Panjaitan, head of the law enforcement unit at the Jakarta Environment Management Agency (BPLHD), said there were already five places that only provided parking areas for cars with emission stickers.

Cars without the stickers are not allowed to park inside PT Martina Berto and PT Dankos buildings in East Jakarta, Dharmais Hospital in West Jakarta, Sahid Jaya Hotel in Central Jakarta, and the BPLHD office in South Jakarta.

Ridwan said some sections of parking areas in Ciputra Mall and Trisakti University in West Jakarta, Senayan City in Central Jakarta, Indonesian Christian University in East Jakarta, Pondok Indah Mall in South Jakarta, Kelapa Gading Mall in North Jakarta, the five municipalities offices, and several other company buildings had also applied the policy.

“The companies, universities, and city administration that want to take this step are members of the Clean Emission Appreciation Movement. We are a group that aims to improve air quality,” he said.

“The movement has about 50 institutional members and I hope all of them will soon implement this policy,” Ridwan said.

Fauzi Bowo also officiated the city’s first air quality monitoring station on the same day.

The city spent Rp 5.5 billion to build the 6-square-meter station, which is equipped with various electronic tools that can measure air pollution in the area.

The station’s machines are directly connected to the BPLHD’s data center.

“This station helps us measure the city’s condition. By measuring the level of air pollution, we can really know how bad pollution is,” Fauzi said.

Though Fauzi said that his administration has been doing its best to improve the city’s air quality, he had not decided when the administration would begin the long planned mandatory testing.

“Someday, we will surely make the emission test mandatory, but everything must be prepared first,” said Fauzi.

Harry, a car user, said that he agreed with environmental policies such as mandatory emission tests.

“As long as these efforts are done continuously, I support them. The city administration just have to show they are serious,” he said. (mrs)