Your letters: Reducing fuel consumption

Paper Edition | Page: 8

I refer to an article “Although costly, RI needs to build more refineries: SBY”, (The Jakarta Post, Aug. 11, p. 3).

I quote: “We cannot always rely on the international market for oil supplies as it won’t necessarily fulfill our domestic fuel demand.”

This is true but refineries won’t increase Indonesia’s oil supply, either. They will only relieve bottlenecks in fuel distribution.

Indonesia’s domestic oil production peaked a long time ago. Therefore, Indonesia will still be dependent on international oil as it allows domestic consumption to balloon unsustainably.

Why is domestic consumption increasing so rapidly? Perhaps because no Indonesian city has a reliable, functioning public transportation system, thus forcing ever more unlicensed users onto the roads.

Congestion, in turn, means wasted consumption; never mind the underage joyriders tearing around on motorbikes.

Road construction lines the pockets of the cement barons, and every failed attempt at a public transportation system erodes public confidence.

Minibuses do not help to improve public transportation. Where I am, they are part of the traffic congestion problem: They only block the traffic as they compete with other minibuses.

Where are the practical strategies to reduce consumption? Where are the realistic transportation alternatives?

John
Jakarta