JAKARTA (Reuters) – Indonesia’s capital will force drivers to undergo emission tests and consider ordering half of its civil servants to work from home, officials said on Monday, amid deteriorating air quality that has made Jakarta one of the world’s most polluted cities.
Jakarta has consistently been ranked among the 10 most polluted cities globally since May and last week topped global rankings compiled by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. On Monday, Jakarta ranked second.
The government has attributed the problem primarily to industry and excessive road traffic, but environmental groups point to coal-fired power plants as the cause, which authorities reject.
The government announced on Monday that random checks would be conducted on vehicles and drivers would be required to undergo emission tests. Fines would be considered for those who fail, and repeat offenders may have their licenses revoked.
Emission tests will also be required as part of the process to obtain a vehicle registration license. However, the government did not specify when the measures would be introduced or how they would be enforced.
“We will start in Jakarta, and when the situation improves, we will expand it to greater Jakarta,” said Environment Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar during a press conference.
Other measures under consideration include mandating cars with an engine capacity of 2,400 cc and above to use 98-octane fuel, as well as requiring each vehicle to carry at least four people.
Jakarta’s residents, numbering well over 10 million, have long complained about the poor air quality in the city.
In 2021, a group of residents won a landmark civil case against the government, resulting in President Joko Widodo being ordered to establish national air quality standards to protect human health. The health minister and Jakarta governor were also instructed to devise strategies to control air pollution.
(Reporting by Ananda Teresia; Editing by Martin Petty)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
