Toyota recalls 625,000 Prius cars, other hybrids globally

Yahoo – AFP, 15 July 2015

The Prius was one of the first hybrid cars to go mainstream and was quickly

adopted as a symbol of green technology (AFP Photo/Yoshikazu Tsuno)

Tokyo (AFP) - Toyota on Wednesday recalled 625,000 hybrid vehicles globally, mostly the Prius model favoured by the eco-conscious including Hollywood celebrities, over a defect that can bring the car to an unexpected stop.

The Japanese automaker said the problem was linked to software that controls a power converter, similar to an issue last year that led to the recall of 1.9 million Prius cars -- Toyota's biggest ever for its signature petrol-electric vehicle.

Toyota, the world's biggest car maker, added that no accidents or injuries had been reported.

"In limited instances, the hybrid system might shut down while the vehicle is being driven, resulting in the loss of power, bringing the vehicle to stop," it said.

The latest call back affected the Prius V, which is also sold as the Prius Alpha and Prius+, as well as some Auris hybrid vehicles.

More than half the recalled vehicles were sold in Japan with most of the others in North America and Europe between May 2010 and November 2014.

The Prius was one of the first hybrid cars to go mainstream and was quickly adopted as a symbol of green technology, with the likes of actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Cameron Diaz snapped behind the wheel.

Toyota has sold more than seven million hybrid cars globally since the debut of its Prius hybrid in 1997 in the first mass production of green cars.

It has roughly 30 hybrid models sold in more than 90 countries worldwide.

Indonesia’s First Privately Run Airport to Be Built in Riau Islands Province

Jakarta Globe, Denverino Dante, Feb 08, 2015

Renderings of Bintan Airport, Indonesia's first privately owned airport, set to
open in the end of 2016 (Photo courtesy of Bintan Aviation Investments)

From Jakarta to Jambi and Pontianak to Pangkalpinang, Indonesian cities have experienced tremendous growth in recent years. Unfortunately the airports of these and other cities in the archipelago have been slow to keep up with demand, and are now suffering from overcapacity.

This is not just due to local demand. The introduction of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Open Skies policy is certain to trigger more passenger traffic within the region. This issue must be addressed as airports not only serve to move people, but also contribute to growth.

An example is New Zealand’s Auckland Airport, which served 14 million passengers in 2013 and contributed close to $15 billion, or 19 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

Virtually all of Indonesia’s airports are government-owned. But a law governing aviation, passed in January 2009, sets out how the private sector can participate in the development of airports in Indonesia. In May last year, airports were taken off the “negative investment list,” allowing foreign companies to own up to 49 percent of airport ventures.

Theoretically, the government has opened the door for the private sector to participate in airport development. Unfortunately these changes are yet to stimulate interest from the private sector.

Each proposed airport project has its own specific challenges, ranging from return on investment issues to land acquisition problems. Lion Air has set out plans to build its own airport in Banten province but no specifics have been announced.

However, one company is set to take on the challenge. Bintan Aviation Investments (BAI), a subsidiary of Singapore-based publicly listed Gallant Venture, which in turn is backed by the Salim Group and Singapore’s Sembcorp, will create Indonesia’s first privately owned airport.

Once completed, the new airport will be able to accommodate wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330 and Boeing’s 747 and 777 models.

Located in the Bintan Industrial Estate on Bintan Island, Riau Islands province, the first phase of the airport will include three hangars, a three-kilometer runway and a terminal. The company has set aside $135 million for this first phase.

The airport is set to open at the end of next year, with plans to serve a million passengers in its first year of operation. The company has ambitiously also set aside land for future developments, capable of serving up to 60 million passengers per year, roughly the number handled annually by Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport.

Situated next to the airport is the company’s 177-hectare aerospace industrial park. In December GMF-AeroAsia — a subsidiary of national flag carrier Garuda Indonesia — and BAI signed a joint-venture agreement to establish a company specializing in aircraft maintenance.

This joint venture is a follow-up to a memorandum of understanding signed by both parties in early 2014, which plans to turn Bintan into a new regional hub and maintenance facility center for Garuda Indonesia in order to better tap the Southeast Asian market.

According to Richard Budihadianto, chief executive of GMF AeroAsia, the first phase will see two single-bay hangars, each capable of handling heavy maintenance on wide-body aircraft, plus a third specialized wide-body painting hangar.

He explained that Bintan is the perfect location for the operation as it is near Singapore, where several regional offices of major aviation industry players are located.

The airport is also integrated with a seaport so the movement of aircraft components will be easy and efficient. Aside from already owning several Boeing 747s, Garuda Indonesia will soon receive 10 Boeing 777 jets, while its fleet of Airbus A330s is projected to grow to 30. The total Asia-Pacific market for aircraft maintenance reached $16.4 billion in 2013, and is expected to grow to $26.5 billion by 2022.

The joint venture will handle manufacturing and assembly of aircraft engines and components, aviation training and research and development centers.

There will be a dedicated township, including residential areas for employees, dormitories, a health center, sports center and convenience stores to cater to management and staff at the aerospace industrial park.

“There must be a bundling of several activities in the area to trigger the required base traffic at the airport in order to justify the investment,” BAI managing director Michael Wudy said.

“The Bintan airport comes from the necessity to open access for tourists to Bintan and to provide landing and take-off facilities for aircraft using the heavy maintenance facility.”

The story was first published on GlobeAsia’s February edition

Mercedes-Benz issues China recall over short circuit risk

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-08-06

The Mercedes-Benz stand at a car show in Beijing, September 2013. (Photo/Xinhua)

Mercedes-Benz will recall 57,843 vehicles in mainland China due to risks associated with short circuits, the country's quality watchdog said on Tuesday.

The recall involves imported petrol-powered Smart Fortwo produced between Oct. 5, 2010 and June 2, 2014, according to the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine.

The producer will fix the problem with the warm water shut-off valve, which may trigger a short circuit after being used for a long time.

The recall will start on Aug. 22.

Mazda 6 recalled in China over airbag problem

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-07-07

A Mazda at a car show in Shenzhen, June 8, 2012. (Photo/Xinhua)

China FAW Car Co, maker of some Mazda models in China, will recall 42,732 Mazda 6 sedans starting on July 20 due to an airbag problem, according to China's top quality watchdog.

Affected cars were manufactured between March 29, 2003 and April 30, 2004, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine said in the circular.

Due to production faults, the airbag for front passenger seat may fail to work in the case of collision, as pressure inside the airbag inflator may rise to an abnormal level and the metal container may break into pieces, which may lead to air leaks and even fire in extreme cases, the administration said.

The company will check the affected vehicles and replace the defective parts free of charge.

GM recalls 7.6 mn more US cars after crashes, deaths

Yahoo – AFP, 30 June 2014

General Motors said it will pay at least $1 million in compensation to the families 

of each person killed in accidents apparently caused by defective ignition switches

 in its cars (AFP Photo/Bill Pugliano)

New York (AFP) - General Motors Monday announced another massive auto recall, calling back 8.4 million vehicles -- 7.6 million of them in the US -- following seven crashes and three fatalities.

GM, reeling over an ignition-switch recall scandal linked to at least 13 deaths, said that while there were three fatalities related to fatal crashes of older cars being recalled for ignition issues, there is "no conclusive evidence" the defect caused the incidents.

The leading US automaker announced six new recalls in all Monday. The bulk of the vehicles, about 8.2 million of the 8.4 million in the US, Canada and Mexico, are being recalled to address a problem of "unintended ignition key rotation."

GM said the three fatal crashes occurred in older model full-size sedans with that problem, but the company did not provide further details.

The group of vehicles affected includes the 1997-2005 Chevrolet Malibu, the 1999-2004 Oldsmobile Alero and the 2000-2005 Chevrolet Impala. The most recent vehicles recalled with the unintended ignition key rotation problem are the 2014 Cadillac CTS.

The other recalled vehicles have problems with a heater power cord, a joint fastener, and electrical problems.

GM said the latest batch of recalls means it will spend $1.2 billion on recall-related costs in the second quarter, up from the previous estimate of $700 million.

GM recalls 475,000 more vehicles

Yahoo –AFP, 28 June 2014

(AFP)

General Motors Friday announced three more safety recalls covering nearly 475,000 vehicles, the biggest of which involves a software problem in some leading sport utility vehicles and pickup models.

GM (NYSE: GM - news) will recall more than 450,000 models of the 2014-2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, among others, in which control module software in the four-wheel drive system could automatically switch to neutral without driver input.

As a result, a vehicle, while parked, could "roll away if the parking brake is not set," GM said. If the vehicle is in motion, no power will go to the wheels, the automaker added.

GM said it knew of no crashes or injuries related to this problem, or to those that prompted the other two recalls it announced. The recall affects vehicles in the US and Canada.

GM said it was recalling about 4,800 2013-2014 Chevrolet Caprice police cars and 2014 Chevrolet SS sport sedans in the US to address a problem that can stop the windshield wipers from working.

The third recall involves about 2,050 2014 Chevrolet Corvettes, most in the US, to address a problem with the rear shock.

GM has already recalled more than 20 million vehicles in 2014.

The Detroit automaker is under investigations by Congress, the Justice Department and the Securities and Exchange Commission over its delayed recall of cars with ignition switch problems related to at least 13 deaths.

In February -- 11 years after the ignition switch defect was detected -- GM began recalling 2.6 million Chevrolet Cobalts, Saturn Ions and Skys, Pontiac 5s and Solstices made between 2003 and 2011.

Related Articles:

GM announces second million-strong recall in a week

General Motors recalls millions more cars in the US

Honda recalls 2 mln vehicles worldwide for airbag defect

Yahoo – AFP, 23 June 2014

A worker inspects a Honda Accord car model at the Honda assembly plant

in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, on January 17, 2003 (AFP Photo/

Peter Parks)

Japan's Honda Motor on Monday recalled more than two million vehicles worldwide over an airbag defect that could pose a fire risk.

Honda said the recall covers about 2,033,000 vehicles which were produced between August 2000 and December 2005, including over one million in North America and 668,000 in Japan.

Subject to the recall are a total of 13 types of vehicles including popular Fit and Accord models.

Front passenger airbag inflators could have been assembled with an improperly manufactured propellant component, Japan's third largest automaker said.

That could cause the container of the inflator to rupture in the event of a crash, posing a fire risk or injuring passengers, it added.

The same inflator problem has also caused top automaker Toyota to recall millions of vehicles globally.

Toyota has earlier said it acted as it received a complaint from a Japanese customer who said his passenger seat was burned from the defect.

Honda said the company had received no complaint or reports of injuries on its own.

Toyota recalls 2.27 mn vehicles globally over airbag defect

Yahoo – AFP, 11 June 2014

Toyota is recalling recalling 2.27 million

 vehicles globally due to a faulty airbag 

system, the company logo is pictured at the

 Washington Auto Show on February 2,

2013 (AFP Photo/Nicholas Kamm)

Tokyo (AFP) - Toyota on Wednesday said it was recalling 2.27 million vehicles globally over an airbag system defect that could cause a fire, the latest in a series of callbacks by the world's biggest automaker.

The company, which has now recalled about nine million vehicles in the past two months, said the announcement covered about 20 models, including its Corolla sedan and Yaris subcompact.

The fire risk from the defect covers about 1.62 million cars abroad and 650,000 in Japan, Toyota said.

"There is a risk that the airbag container could break down and scatter around, which could cause fire or injuries," the carmaker said in a statement submitted to Japan's transport ministry on Wednesday.

It did not elaborate on details of the potential fire hazard, but a company spokesman in Tokyo said the automaker had received a complaint from a Japanese customer who said his passenger seat was burned due to the glitch.

The spokesman added that no serious injuries or accidents linked to the defect had been reported.

The callback comes after Toyota in April recalled 6.39 million vehicles globally over a string of problems, dealing another blow to the firm, whose reputation for quality and safety has been dented in recent years.

Despite record sales and bumper profits, Toyota has been fighting to protect its brand after earlier recalls involving millions of vehicles.

In March, it reached a deal to pay $1.2 billion to settle US criminal charges that it covered up a sticky pedal blamed for dozens of deaths.

US rival General Motors has also been sideswiped by accusations that it hid a decade-long ignition and airbag problem linked to 13 deaths.

Ford recalls over a million cars for technical faults

America’s second-largest carmaker Ford has recalled 1.4 million vehicles to fix problems with steering columns and other technical defects. The move came in the wake of a major safety scandal at rival General Motors.

Deutsche Welle, 30 May 2014

In the largest of the recalls, Ford said on Thursday it’s calling back some 915,000 million sport utility vehicles (SUVs) to fix a problem with the torque sensor within the steering column that could potentially cause a loss of power steering – a factor that could raise the risk of a crash.

Another additional recall affects Ford’s Taurus sedans built between 2010 and 2014 because they could be prone to a corrosion problem. Finally, a problem with floor mats potentially coming into contact with the gas pedal has also prompted the company to pull back over 80,000 FordFusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and Lincoln MKZ cars from the 2006 through 2011 model years.

Most of the Ford recalls are in the United States and Canada. The company has not said how much the recall campaigns are expected to cost the carmaker.

GM, Toyota cases heighten concerns

The move comes amid growing scrutiny of automobile safety in the US by regulators. Car giant General Motors is under intense pressure to improve its safety standards after it was accused of failing to address technical defects that began with its ignition switch issue in older model cars. Those faults have been linked to 13 deaths.

GM was fined a record $35 million (25.7 million Euros) earlier this month, the maximum allowed by US law. The car giant has recalled over 13 million cars in the US so far this year.

In a separate case, US authorities recently made carmaker Toyota pay a $1.2 billion penalty for concealing information from government safety regulators.

Karl Brauer, senior analyst at Kelley Blue Book, said the recalls could be caused by heightened concern by automakers because of the GM and Toyota cases.

"I do think manufacturers are more willing to issue a recall at this point because their sheer number in recent months has become a sort of background white noise for consumers," he said in a statement.

Reuters/AP /sp

GM announces second million-strong recall in a week

American auto giant General Motors has recalled millions more vehicles citing mechanical problems. The announcement follows an unprecedented fine imposed on the carmaker by federal regulators in the US for negligence.

Deutsche Welle, 20 May 2014

American automaker General Motors said Tuesday it was recalling another 2.4 million vehicles due to various safety defects, its second such announcement in under a week.

The company cited problems with seatbelts, airbags and gear boxes in its Buick, Chevrolet and Pontiac models, bringing the total number of cars and trucks GM has recalled so far this year to 15 million.

Just last week the carmaker recalled 2.7 million vehicles due to problems with headlamps and power brakes that left 13 people injured.

A day later federal regulators in the US fined GM an unprecedented $35 million (25.5 million euros) for failing to report in a timely manner ignition switch defects that were linked to 13 deaths.

The company said no fatalities had been reported in connection with the latest recall, but noted it expected recall-related costs to double in the second quarter to about $400 million.

cjc / sri (Reuters, dpa, AFP)

Related Article:

General Motors recalls millions more cars in the US

General Motors recalls millions more cars in the US

Deutsche Welle, 15 May 2014

General Motors has recalled another 2.7 million vehicles with faulty lights and brakes. The announcement brought the number of defective cars and trucks recalled by the auto giant this year to a whopping 11 million.

American carmaker General Motors on Thursday recalled 2.7 million cars and trucks, bringing its list of faulty vehicles recalled this year to a new high.

Thirteen people had already been injured due to the mechanical problems which would cost $200 million to rectify, the company said.

Earlier this year General Motors recalled some 2.6 million cars worldwide on account of ignition switch problems that left 13 people dead when motors or electronic systems shut off without warning.

Investigations underway

This time around the company cited problems with headlamps in some Corvette models and defective power brakes in certain makes of its Chevy Malibu.

Engineers at the company reportedly knew about the defects since 2001. The US Congress, federal regulators and the Justice Department continue investigating whether the auto maker broke any laws in its handling of the recalls.

cjc /hg (AFP, AP, dpa, Reuters)

Related Article:

GM fined record $35 mn over delay to ignition recall

Air France-KLM signs maintenance deal with Air China

Want China Times, Xinhua 2014-05-01

An Air China Boeing 777-300ER at John F Kennedy International Airport
in New York, April 1, 2013. (Photo/Xinhua)

Air France-KLM agreed a deal for the maintenance of Air China's Boeing 777 fleet for a period of 15 years, the Franco-Dutch airline announced on Wednesday.

In a statement, Air France-KLM called the contract "the most important agreement in its history in terms of maintenance."

The specialist maintenance division of the group agreed to maintain the GE90 engines powering Air China's fleet of Boeing 777s.

The deal is said to be part of a wider cooperation in the field of aircraft maintenance with Air China, which operates 20 777-300ER aircraft and eight 777-200 freighters as part of its joint venture with Air China Cargo. No financial details were disclosed so far.

"This agreement illustrates our ability to expand in a highly competitive sector," said Air France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac in a press release.

"It is an additional success story for our maintenance division and positive for employment in a growing sector within the group and confirms our development strategy," he added.

Seven dead as troubled tourist bus overturns in Pasuruan

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Sun, 05/06/2012

Seven passengers of a Mutiara Indah Murni tourist bus died Sunday as bus they were traveling in crashed in Ngembal village, Tutur (Nongkojajar) district in Pasuruan regency, East Java, on Sunday.

Five passengers died on the scene, while two other died on the way to Ganesha Medica hospital in Purwosari.

Survivors said they smelled burning braking pads just before the accident as the bus was rolling downhill. Passengers said the bus went out of control, especially after the driver, Slamet, slammed to the left in an attempt to avoid a motorcycle, kompas.com reported on Sunday.

Unfortunately, one of the bus’ wheels struck a large stone, causing the bus to roll several times before coming to rest on the shoulder of the opposing lane, blocking traffic along the highway.

The bus carried some 60 residents taking a tour from the Candi Lontar housing complex, located in the Sambikerep district of Surabaya, East Java.

They had just visited the Agro Bhakti Alam tourism site in Ngembal village and were heading for the Sengkaling public bath in Malang regency. The bus had only traveled two kilometers from Agro Bhakti Alam when the accident occurred.

One of the passengers, Sasongko, said the bus had broken down in the Purwosari area on their way to Ngembal village.

He said the radiator leaked and the bus had braking problems. “The driver sealed the leakage simply using a bar of soap. The leaking radiator showed that the bus was not roadworthy,” he told kompas.com.

Nongkojajar Police chief Adj. Comr. Marwan Ishari Purnomo said the police had detained the driver for further questioning. 

U.S. reaffirms maintenance for Indonesian F-16 fleet

English.news.cn 2011-01-05 00

JAKARTA, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) - The United State has reaffirmed its pledge in securing the service and maintenance works on F-16 fighter jet planes operated by Indonesian air forces, an Indonesian official said here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a meeting between Indonesia Air Forces Chief Marshall Imam Sufaat and former commander of U.S. fleet in Asia Pacific region Gen. (ret.) William J. Beggert, Indonesian Air Forces Spokesman Rear Marshall Bambang Samoedro conveyed that U.S. service and maintenance works on Indonesia's F- 16 planes have been resuming well after the U.S. embargo on such services was lifted in November 2005.

"They have been helping us in monitoring and checking the parts of our F-16 fleet in the last three years," Bambang said.

William J. Beggert now is the vice president of Business Development and Aftermarket Sales and Services at Pratt & Whitney.

Bambang said that teams from U.S. jet engine firm Pratt & Whitney came to Indonesia twice a year, checking the airworthiness of those planes.

"The service and maintenance works were conducted exactly the same like it was before the embargo was imposed," Bambang added.

Indonesia now operates 10 F-16 Fighting Falcon produced by U.S. firm General Dynamics. Those planes are stationed in Air Force's third air base located in Madiun, east Java, the Antara news service reported.

The embargo on Indonesia's fighter jet planes were imposed in late 1990s following an allegation of rights abuses committed by Indonesian forces during the referendum in former Indonesian province East Timor.

Editor: Mu Xuequan

Premium Test Finds Impurities at Indonesia's State Owned Gasoline Pumps

Jakarta Globe, Faisal Maliki Baskoro | July 30, 2010

PTPertamina, the state oil and gas company, is facing renewed pressure toinvestigate the quality of its fuel after a non-governmental organizationperformed tests, allegedly finding impurities, water and mud. (SP Photo)

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• GamyaThreatens Switch From Pertamina Over Fuel 8:56pm Jul 28, 2010
• Fuel Pump Problems Continue To Spread 10:44pm Jul 25, 2010

Jakarta. PT Pertamina’s Premium fuel distributed inGreater Jakarta is contaminated with substances that have led to the breakdownsof thousands of cars, particularly taxis, according to a study from anon-governmental organization that advocates for clean fuel.

“Basedon our research, Pertamina’s Premium fuel in the city may contain zinc, ferrumas well as other sediments such as water and mud,” Ahmad Safrudin, chairman ofthe Committee Against Leaded Gasoline (KPBB), said on Friday.

The KPBBsurveyed 20 auto repair shops in Greater Jakarta and found that seven of themhad received complaints of fuel pumps damaged by those substances, he said.

“Zinccoating in Pertamina storage depots may have peeled off and mixed with thefuel,” he said. “Lack of tank cleaning and maintenance of the storage areas mayhave been the cause for those substances to become mixed with the fuel.”

He urgedPertamina and the government to immediately explain to the public what waswrong with Premium fuel, instead of insisting that the state energy company wasnot at fault.

Pertaminaspokesman Basuki Trikora Putra questioned KPBB’s research, calling theaccusations baseless and saying the organization’s test results were invalid.

“Thedirectorate general of oil and gas in cooperation with downstream oil and gasregulator BPH Migas are investigating this issue. The investigation isindependent and the result will be the official result,” he said.

Basukisaid Pertamina had carried out upkeep of its storage tanks and distribution offuel in accordance with the company’s standard operating procedures.

“We haveroutine maintenance in our storage depots and refineries,” he said.

“Ourfuel has been certified and quality checked. All of this was documented byPertamina and the government.”

The fuelpump flap began when Jakarta’s biggest taxi company, Blue Bird Group, said1,200 of its taxis had been affected by impurities in Pertamina’s Premium fuel.

TheExpress taxi company and Gamya Taxi Group have noted the same problems in itsToyotas and Nissans.

Theproblem is also affecting auto manufacturer Hyundai, which along with Toyotasaid it was struggling to meet a sudden surge in demand for fuel pumps.

Gamya onWednesday threatened to drop Pertamina as its fuel distributor and switch toShell, a pricier option.

Thecompany said it had suffered Rp 500 million ($56,000) in losses over the pastmonth due to repair costs and lost revenue after fuel pumps malfunctioned on270 of the company’s vehicles.

MintarsihLatif, Gamya’s president director, said that independent tests conducted inThailand at the behest of an automotive distributor found that the sulfurcontent in Pertamina’s Premium gasoline exceeded normal levels for the fuel.

Lastweek, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources also launched aninvestigation of four Pertamina gas stations in Greater Jakarta, but found thepremium fuel met government specifications.

Anotherprobe by the Civil Servant Investigators office (PPNS) carried out earlier thisweek on four gas stations had yet to announce its result.

Related Articles:

Alarming rise in car fuel pump failures

Taxi company leaves Pertamina, shifts to Shell

Taxis remain in the dark on fuel pump problems

Fuel Pump Problems Continue To Spread

Taxi company leaves Pertamina, shifts to Shell

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 07/28/2010 9:32 AM

Taxi company PT Gamya Taksi Group is negotiating a cooperation agreement with PT Shell Indonesia after 270 units or one fourth of its fleet could not operatedue to broken fuel pumps.

Gamya President Director Mintarsih A Latief said replacing the taxis’ fuel tanks would not solve the problem if the cause of the damage was still around gasstations selling subsidized fuel produced by state oil and gas company PT Pertamina.

“There is no guarantee that the same problem will not recur if we change the fuel tanks,” she told Kontan business daily on Tuesday.

Preliminary investigation found that the Pertamina fuel bought from gas stations in Kreo,Pondok Bambu and on Jl. TB Simatupang contained sulfur. Gamya claims to have lost up to Rp 162 million in revenue per day due to the damage.

As of Tuesday 50 taxis could not operate due to limited stock of fuel pump components.

Mintarsih said the use of high-octane fuel from Shell would force her company to increase service fee. “If we cannot find another way, we will have to increase thetariff,” she added.

The multinational oil company only sells non-subsidized fuels.

Related Articles:

Taxis remain in the dark on fuel pump problems

Fuel Pump Problems Continue To Spread

KNKT: Radar at Soekarno Hatta Airport Can Still Be Used If Well-Maintained

Tempo Interactive, Monday, 26 July, 2010 | 15:46 WIB

TEMPOInteractive, Jakarta:The chief of the National Flight Safety Commission (KNKT)Tatang Kurniadi said that the condition of airport radars is mostly affected byits maintenance rather than its age.

“Radarsare an electronic device. If it is well maintained and the spare parts arestill available in the market, then it can still function well,” he told Tempowhen asked about the complaints about the radar at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport,yesterday.

Even so,Tatang admitted that radars still have an ideal usage time. “But a radar isexpensive. So as long as you maintain it well, you can still use it. But if youchange it with a new one off course it is better and surely moresophisticated,” he added.

Accordingto Tatang, an airport radar has an important function in regulating airtraffic. “Radars cannot be used 24 hours straight or it will malfunction,” hesaid.

Tatangsaid he did know for sure how long the radars in Indonesian airports have beenaround for, but there have not been any accidents due to radars.

Earlier,the radar at the Soekarno – Hatta International Airport was reported to havebeen malfunctioning often. It is 15 years old and its performance isproblematic.

AGUNGSEDAYU/AYU CIPTA

Taxi operators hit hard by sudden spate of stalled cars

HasyimWidhiarto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 07/24/2010 9:23 AM

Taxioperators in the city are expressing frustration following increasing incidentsof taxis stalling in the past three weeks, allegedly due to poor qualitygasoline and badly manufactured fuel pumps.

“Atleast 30 taxis stall during operation every day and must return to our pool fora check up,” Priyatmedi, the operational director of Jakarta-based Taxiku taxiservice, told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

“Ourin-house mechanics found that the taxis stalled mainly due to problems with thefuel pumps.”

Althoughthe company’s new fleet of Chevrolets are still covered by guarantees for anyspare parts purchased from the dealer, Priyatmedi complained that “once a taxistalls, it affects the collection of our operating income”.

BlueBird Group public relations head Teguh Wijayanto said his company had foundfuel pump damage in 1,200 of their cars.

“Some ofour drivers could not start their cars due to the problem while others hadtheir cars suddenly grind to a halt.”

He saidthe company’s mechanics pinned the problem on a similar cause. “They found aclot in the cars’ fuel pumps,” he said.

Earlierthis week, several taxi operators reported that a large number of their carssuffered from technical problems due to flawed to fuel pumps.

Normally,the pumps have to be replaced after 100,000 kilometers, or around four years ofuse.

“Butnow, we find that some of our newer cars that have less than 30,000 kilometerson the clock also have faulty fuel pumps,” Teguh said.

BlueBird currently operates a fleet of more than 11,000 Toyota Limo cars, producedbetween 2007 and 2009, throughout Greater Jakarta, while Taxiku operating lessthan 1,000 cars in the same area.

Thesudden spate of fuel pump issues has triggered public speculation.

Onewidespread view is that there was an intentional attempt to degrade the qualityof premium gasoline in Jakarta, while others blame production errors during thefuel pump manufacturing process.

State-ownedoil and gas firm PT Pertamina has strongly denied any rumors of tampered fuelsupplies.

Pertaminais the largest distributor of subsidized premium gasoline in the country.

“Ourlaboratory tests on premium gasoline samples collected from several Pertaminagas stations in Jakarta on July 20 found no substandard fuel.” Pertaminacorporate secretary Toharso said Thursday.

Whenasked for comment, PT Toyota Astra Motor president director Johnny Darmawansaid

Fridaythat he did not want to speculate about the fuel pump problem, saying that allcar distributors, Pertaminaand public representatives needed to meet to discuss the matter.

“Reportsshow that it is not only our [Toyota] cars that have this problem,” Johnnysaid.

Editorial: Jakarta’s Traffic Snarl is an Urgent Priority

Jakarta Globe, Editorial, May 26, 2010

A massive traffic jam in North Jakarta Jakarta. (JG Photo/Safir Makki)

It is a well known fact that Jakarta’s traffic congestion is a chronic nightmare. This is a result of a three-pronged mismanagement attack: The woeful lack of new roads; a sharp increase in the number of vehicles and inadequate public transportation.

In the absence of viable public transportation, it is only logical that people look for the easiest and cheapest means to commute between their homes and work as well as to move around the city. Cars may not be within everyone’s reach but motorcycles are, especially with the various credit schemes on offer. The result is an increasing glut of four-wheeled and two-wheeled vehicles on the city’s severely limited road network.

Now, the city administration is apparently trying to reduce congestion by controlling the number of motorcycles on the roads.

The government is considering banning motorcyclists from purchasing government-subsidized fuel, while allowing owners of luxury vehicles built as recently as 2006 to continue to benefit from the program, which was designed with the poor in mind.

Evita Legowo, director general of oil and gas at the Energy Ministry, said on Wednesday that it had been decided that motorcyclists would be banned from buying the subsidized fuel following a meeting with the Indonesian Motorcycle Industry Association. She said only public-transport vehicles and private cars would be eligible to buy the fuel, and the types of cars and their age had not been determined.

Evita said she expects the final scheme for limiting sales of subsidized fuels to be released in June. The government may proceed in rolling out the program throughout Java, the country’s most populous island, in August.

While we welcome the city administration’s efforts, it is important to point out that this step alone will not be effective. Concerted efforts must be made to improve public transportation infrastructure. The busway is a good start, but it is not enough to meet demand. The number of vehicles in the fleet is still limited, and so is the network. To become truly effective, and draw drivers off the streets, the authorities must make a top priority of developing the busway in conjunction with other primary modes of public transportation in the city, such as the train network.

The long delayed mass rapid transit system also must be put on track. The public will not accept any more excuses. Other major cities in the region have pushed ahead and now have such systems. We only have to think back to the massive traffic messes in Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur a decade ago.

For Jakarta to join the ranks of these cities, both the central government and the city administration must display political will, proper planning and execution. For how much longer must we continue to suffer from mismanagement by the authorities?