Indonesian Authorities Refuse To Disclose Cause Of Explosion & Fire - Distrust Of CNG Buses Grows

[hatrack]

:silly: Gee, ya think?

The busway authority's reluctance to disclose the cause of the recent explosion and fire on a TransJakarta bus is throwing into doubt the introduction of eco-friendly compressed natural gas (CNG) for city public transport, environmentalists say.

The Partnership for Clean Emissions (MEB) said Saturday the failure of the busway operator to explain the incident could raise fears about the safety of CNG, jeopardizing the city's blue sky campaign. "The issue of CNG is no longer economic. After (the busway fire) it's mostly about safety. The Jakarta administration, as the owner of the TransJakarta busway system, must explain to the public and convince them of the safety of using gas fuel," MEB secretary general John Livingstone Wuisan told The Jakarta Post.

The bus burst into flames during maintenance at the busway pool last week, injuring four mechanics. Governor Sutiyoso said the explosion and fire was caused by human error.

The busway is the city's first project to use eco-friendly CNG fuel as part of efforts to clean up the city's severe air pollution. The project is in line with the 2005 bylaw on air pollution control, which requires all public transport as well as the city administration's operational vehicles to switch to CNG.

EDIT

http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailcity.asp?fileid=20070507.C01&irec=0

[kestrel91316]

1. Our CNG buses in Los Angeles have been doing great for nearly

15 years. I haven't heard of ANY explosion/fire issues with them.

Maybe there's a design or maintenance issue in Indonesia.......