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lthough it has been in place for a decade, many smokers in the city continue to ignore a bylaw banning smoking in public places and are unaware that they could face criminal charges.

Boy Pakpahan, 20, said he knew that the Jakarta administration had issued a regulation against smoking in public places, but he thought that it was a recommendation rather than an outright ban.

'€œI'€™ve been waiting for my bus for quite a while. I saw some other people smoking so I thought it was okay to smoke,'€ the university student told The Jakarta Post while stubbing out his cigarette at Lebak Bulus Terminal in South Jakarta.

He said it would be better for the administration to establish a dedicated smoking area at terminals so that people could smoke without disturbing other passengers or violating regulations.

Ten years ago, then Jakarta governor Sutiyoso issued Bylaw No. 75/2005 on air pollution control. Article 13 of the bylaw states that smoking is prohibited in public places, medical facilities, offices, places of education, children'€™s play areas and places of worship.

Article 41 of the law stipulates that anyone violating Article 13 could face a maximum sentence of six months'€™ imprisonment or fines of up to Rp 50 million (US$3,856) .

However, the threat of legal punishment has not deterred smokers from sparking up in public places. A recent ugly incident at a railway station showed that some people still held the ban in contempt.

On Monday, Muhamad Iqbal, a guard at Pondok Jati Station in East Jakarta, was beaten by a passenger identified as Fajar Arief after he asked the latter to put out his cigarette in a non-smoking area.

Iqbal sustained severe injuries and was admitted in a critical condition to the Cipto Mangunkusumo General Hospital in Central Jakarta. The Matraman Police have detained Fajar and named him a suspect for assault following a police report from the railway operator.

Besides railway stations and bus terminals, the smoking ban is also violated at courts. At South Jakarta District Court, for example, smoking prohibition signs are nowhere to be seen.

Nurhadian, a visitor to the South Jakarta District Court, said he was not aware that the district court was one of the public places in Jakarta where people were not allowed to smoke.

He argued that since he was smoking in an open space in front of the court, he was not bothering anyone. '€œIt'€™s not an enclosed space, so the smoke from my cigarette will dissipate in no time,'€ he insisted.

Separately, Daryatmo from the Indonesian Consumers Foundation (YLKI) said the prohibition of smoking in public places had made little impression on the general public, and that, as such, the administration should enact a concerted campaign to raise awareness of the ban.

He said places like railway stations and bus terminals should put up large, visible banners reminding passengers of the ban, as well as making regular reminders via the intercom system. He added that it was important to maintain security guards or officers at stations and terminals to watch out for violations.

Most people he said, were reluctant to admonish fellow passengers who were smoking.

'€œSadly, I don'€™t think that many officials working in public places are very interested in enforcing the smoking ban,'€ Daryatmo told the Post over the phone.

He said that after disseminating information on smoking restrictions, the city administration could begin to enforce the bylaw and impose criminal punishments on violators.