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Jakarta Fails To Put Out Smoking On Buses
Nurfika Osman | September 10, 2009

Buses make their way through Central Jakarta. Despite a four-year-old Buses make their way through Central Jakarta. Despite a four-year-old 'ban' on public puffing, city buses remain a haven for smokers. (Photo: Afriadi Hikmal, JG)
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Smoking is continuing on nearly 90 percent of public transportation vehicles in the city, despite a four-year-old bylaw banning lighting up in public places, the Indonesian Consumers Foundation said on Thursday.

The high rate of non-compliance “means that the city administration has failed to implement its 2005 bylaw on air pollution control,” said Tulus Abadi, managing director of the foundation, also known as the YLKI.

The city enacted a bylaw on air pollution control four years ago that bans smoking in enclosed public places, including all trains, buses, vans, offices, restaurants and cafes.

A survey conducted in July with a total sample of 549 public mikrolet (minibuses), Patas express city buses, and the smaller Metromini and Kopaja buses from five municipalities indicated that 43 percent of drivers smoked while en route, while 40 percent of the passengers and 17 percent of the drivers’ assistants lit up while on board.

“Forty-two percent of the violations occur ed in minivans, followed by express city buses, including air-conditioned buses, with 21 percent, Metromini with 19 percent and Kopaja with 18 percent,” Tulus said. “Twenty-four percent of those caught smoking said that they did so because officials did not monitor them, while the remainder said that they were addicted to smoking and simply could not stop,” he said.

The foundation conducted a survey last year to study how people felt about smoking in public vehicles.

Out of 1,000 residents interviewed, 77 percent said they were bothered by people smoking inside public vehicles.

TR Panjaitan, secretary of the Jakarta Land Transportation Operators Association (Organda), said officials were concerned about violations.

“We are fully aware that we are unable to keep people from smoking in public transportation vehicles due to lack of funds and personnel,” Panjaitan said.

As a first step, he said, he would write a memo to the head of the city’s transportation agency to request that no-smoking stickers be placed on buses.

“I hope we can place the stickers after Lebaran holiday,” he said, referring to Idul Fitri celebrations to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month.

He also called for help in monitoring violations. “We hope the public can help us out by warning smokers not to smoke in public vehicles, because we cannot do it alone,” he said.