New-car ban for Indonesia?

2007-04-19 12:45

Jakarta - Indonesia's environment minister has proposed a ban on the sale of new cars in a radical bid to slash pollution levels in the nation's rapidly growing urban areas, a report said on Thursday.

Environment Minister Rachmat Witoelar said the plan could be introduced if new national anti-pollution measures did not improve air quality, the Jakarta Post said.

"If there is no progress in restoring air quality, we will stop (new car sales)," Witoelar said. "It is a bitter pill to take, but it is for the sake of public health."

He said Indonesia had already introduced new emission standards based on international guidelines but "if we don't take further action, the numbers of cars and motorcycles will exceed our country's population."

The capital Jakarta and some other Indonesian cities have chronic smog levels and traffic congestion is a major problem.

Private car ownership is increasing by about 11% a year, data from Jakarta's local government shows.

New moves to combat pollution include publicly grading cities from the dirtiest to the cleanest, the minister told the newspaper.

Witoelar acknowledged that the social impact of the ban on new cars would be horrendous for thousands of Indonesians. But he said pollution from vehicles was equally damaging, including contributing to global warming.

- AFP