Experts have pegged the annual cost of air pollution in Jakarta at Rp 38 trillion, a figure they blame largely on the proliferation of cars and the use of low-quality subsidized fuel.

Ahmad Syarifuddin, chairman of the Committee to Phase Out Leaded Gasoline KPBB, claimed on Thursday that vehicle emissions accounted for almost all the air pollution in the capital.

He said data gathered by the KPBB showed that health costs and lost productivity as a result of air pollution amounted to Rp 38 trillion in 2010, and was believed to have increased since then with more vehicles hitting the city’s streets.

“The air pollution we’re dealing with includes dust particle, hydrocarbons, sulfur and so on, which can cause a range of illnesses such as asthma, respiratory tract infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and heart disease,” Ahmad said at a seminar in Jakarta with the theme of “Fuel Economy Initiative in Indonesia.”

He warned that the costs would only keep increasing as long as there were no fundamental changes in transportation policies, including phasing out the use of low-grade subsidized fuel and enforcing emissions restrictions.

via Air Pollution a Financial Strain for Jakarta | The Jakarta Globe.