Heaptalk, Jakarta — The Jakarta Provincial Government recently announced plans to restrict the age of vehicles operating within its territory. This policy has immediately sparked opposition.
Ali Mahsun Atmo, Chairman of the Indonesian Street Vendors Association (APKLI) Perjuangan, objected to this plan. “Most of the small-scale economic actors cannot afford to buy new cars and motorcycles,” he said in a press release on Tuesday (06/18).
According to Ali, most small business owners rely on old cars and motorcycles for their business activities. He emphasized the need to involve the community in the decision-making process for this policy. “I urge that the community be involved in this policy-making process to avoid misunderstandings,” he said.
Meanwhile, Ali highlighted that efforts to keep Jakarta’s air clean are related to the age of vehicles and pollution production from various other sources. He stated, “Jakarta must play a role in reducing pollution.”
Furthermore, the association will communicate with the Jakarta Provincial Government regarding the vehicle age restrictions in Jakarta. He hopes that the Jakarta Provincial Government can provide supportive policies to make it easier for small-scale economic actors to obtain new vehicles, such as interest rate relief or subsidies.
Previously, the Commission B of the Jakarta Provincial Regional House of Representatives (DPRD) encouraged vehicle age restrictions as a solution to address air pollution and traffic congestion. Commission B Chairman Ismail, as reported on the official Jakarta DPRD website, proposed this option as an alternative to restrictions on private vehicles in accordance with the Special Jakarta Regional Law (DKJ). He highlighted that this policy would reduce the number of vehicles and exhaust emissions.
Ismail cited Singapore’s use of the Certificate of Entitlement (COE), which limits vehicle usage to 10 years. While acknowledging the potential impact on local revenue, Ismail called for further review of this proposal to create a better environment.
