Jakarta (ANTARA) - Proper Board of the Ministry of Environment and Forestry (KLHK) Agus Pambagio called on the government to ramp up efforts to develop transportation infrastructure based on renewable energy to prevent air pollution.

He made this statement in response to DKI Jakarta's current air quality that has been deteriorating.

According to Pambagio, the government could allocate more resources to develop transportation infrastructure that uses renewable energy sources.

"Such as electric vehicles (EV), and efficient and affordable vehicles based on biodiesel and biofuels, such as trains, buses, and other modes of public transportation," Pambagio noted in a statement received here on Monday.

He pointed out that the source of pollutants that damage the air quality in Jakarta came from the transportation sector.

The condition of polluted air in Jakarta has reached a very alarming level and even to the extent of being one of the worst conditions in the world.

Data showing the air quality map in Jakarta (OQAir) live often shows the average condition in Jakarta at an unhealthy status for sensitive groups.

Meanwhile, the number of special vehicles in DKI Jakarta had reached around 21.8 million units by the end of 2022. This data is recorded in the 2023 Indonesia Statistics report released by the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS).

According to the report, the number of passenger cars in Jakarta during the 2020-2022 period had increased by around 1.6 million units.

Pambagio remarked that oil-fueled vehicles are currently a big contributor to air pollution in Jakarta, apart from other causes from the industrial sector.

"In the current situation, vehicles are a significant cause of air pollution in Jakarta, accounting for around 57 percent of the total pollutants," he stated.

Out of the 57 percent of pollutants produced by oil-fueled vehicles, he noted that nearly 98 percent came from private vehicles operating on the capital's streets.

Regarding the issue, Pambagio also dismissed the issue of electricity generation as the cause of increasing air pollution in Jakarta.

"The problem is transportation," Pambagio further noted.

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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Katriana
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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