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Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso was rewarded as
international champion of the 2006 Air Quality Management for his outstanding
leadership to provide the city with sustainable public transport, the Indonesian
daily Jakarta Post reported Saturday. The award, which went to four recipients,
was presented during the final session of the three-day Better Air Quality 2006
workshop by Walter Hook, the executive director of the Institute for Transport
Development and Policy, on behalf of the workshop's organizing committee. "Of
course I feel honored but I never expect awards for what I do. I just believe
these are very serious problems that must be properly addressed," Sutiyoso was
quoted by the daily as saying after receiving the award. Air pollution directly
affected human health and traffic congestion, he said. "We have learned that 70
percent of the air pollution (in Jakarta) is caused by motor vehicles. This must
be cut. And I am aiming to do so by launching a fast, efficient and
environmentally friendly mass transportation system," Sutiyoso said. Jakarta is
currently developing three public transportation projects, the subway, monorail
and the TransJakarta Busway. "Under ... Governor Sutiyoso, Jakarta has taken a
leadership position in addressing urban transportation issues," said Frank
Murray of Murdoch University who led the AQM Champions selection committee. One
of the criteria for winning the prize was taking a risk, where failure and loss
of face is a real possibility, and succeeding when "playing it safe" would have
been easier, Murray said. The other three winners were Justice Hamid Ali Shah of
Pakistan for his work in improving air quality in the Pakistani city of Lahore;
Supat Wangwongwatana of Thailand for his efforts to institutionalize air quality
management in his country; and the Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency for its efforts in raising awareness, building capacity and strengthening
policies on air quality management. Source: Xinhua
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