Air pollution a financial strain for Jakarta

Jakarta - Experts have pegged the annual cost of air pollution in Jakarta at 38 trillion rupiah (RM12.2 billion), a figure they blame largely on the proliferation of cars and the use of low-quality subsidised fuel.

Ahmad Syarifuddin, chairman of the Committee to Phase Out Leaded Gasoline (KPBB), claimed on Thursday that vehicle emissions accounted for almost all the air pollution in the capital.

He said data gathered by the KPBB showed that health costs and lost productivity as a result of air pollution amounted to 38 trillion rupiah in 2010, and was believed to have increased since then with more vehicles hitting the city's streets.

"The air pollution we're dealing with includes dust particle, hydrocarbons, sulfur and so on, which can cause a range of illnesses such as asthma, respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and heart disease," Ahmad said at a seminar here with the theme of "Fuel Economy Initiative in Indonesia."

He warned that the costs would only keep increasing as long as there were no fundamental changes in transportation policies, including phasing out the use of low-grade subsidised fuel and enforcing emissions restrictions.

Ahmad urged the government to introduce cleaner fuels in a bid to limit the types of pollutants being emitted from vehicles.

"Our target is ultimately to see vehicle emissions slashed to 10 per cent of what they are now," he said.

"So if a vehicle has a hydrocarbon emissions rating of 2,500 ppm (parts per million), then we want to see it come down to 250 ppm.

"Low-emissions vehicle technologies are already available, but they will only be effective as long as the quality of the fuel being used is good," he added.

The most widely consumed vehicle fuel in the country is premium petroleum from Pertamina, which has an octane rating of 88 and is sold at a subsidised price of 4,500 rupiah a litre.

Ahmad argued that if the subsidy could be scrapped, or even just eased back to allow a price increase, the government would be able to offer a fuel with a higher octane rating and by extension better emissions characteristics and fuel economy.

"The government sells subsidised fuel at 4,500 rupiah a litre (with) an octane rating of 88, whereas the subsidy was actually calculated based on a fuel with an octane rating of 96 and price of 5,700 rupiah a litre," he said.

(sumber : btimes.com.my)