Controls needed to cut fuel use in sultanate
Thursday, September 6, 2007
A CAR dealership official has urged leaders and key personalities in the energy and environment sectors to live up to their "moral duty to lobby the authorities to consider regulations in line with worldwide trends to be adapted in Brunei to reduce fuel consumption".
Hj Shahrum Hj Kadir of car dealer NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd said during the Energy Week 2007 Symposium yesterday that there is a conspicuous absence of environmental laws on vehicle emission controls in Brunei Darussalam.
In his paper titled "Market Review Global Developments and Implications for Brunei Darussalam", Hj Shahrum cited the alarmingly low standards of control over vehicle emissions in the country coupled with the high fuel consumption.
The highly saturated market is also a cause of worry because as of now, there is one car to 2.7 persons in the country, he said. The average Bruneian spends $150 per car on fuel a month. He estimated the total national amount spent on fuel to be "a staggering $234 million a year" and this is a very conservative figure.
Another problem caused by the number of on-road vehicles is the slow but steady increase of traffic jams in the country.
"It's a huge waste of fuel compounded by poorly maintained vehicles," said Hj Shahrum.
The speaker listed a number of ways to reduce fuel consumption: car pooling, improving engine technology, developing hybrid technology for fuels and vehicles and government regulations.
"By reducing light transmission through rear screens into cars, it is possible to reduce air conditioning workloads and thus reduce fuel consumption," he added.
Hj Shahrum pointed out that the current automotive trend is definitely heading towards a more economical and environmentally conscious approach.
The Department of Economic Planning and Development controls pricing in Brunei's automotive market.
The sector has 20 distributors representing more than 30 manufacturers. The local automotive industry has an estimated annual turnover of $0.7 billion.
The Brunei Times
Hj Shahrum Hj Kadir of car dealer NBT (Brunei) Sdn Bhd said during the Energy Week 2007 Symposium yesterday that there is a conspicuous absence of environmental laws on vehicle emission controls in Brunei Darussalam.
In his paper titled "Market Review Global Developments and Implications for Brunei Darussalam", Hj Shahrum cited the alarmingly low standards of control over vehicle emissions in the country coupled with the high fuel consumption.
The highly saturated market is also a cause of worry because as of now, there is one car to 2.7 persons in the country, he said. The average Bruneian spends $150 per car on fuel a month. He estimated the total national amount spent on fuel to be "a staggering $234 million a year" and this is a very conservative figure.
Another problem caused by the number of on-road vehicles is the slow but steady increase of traffic jams in the country.
"It's a huge waste of fuel compounded by poorly maintained vehicles," said Hj Shahrum.
The speaker listed a number of ways to reduce fuel consumption: car pooling, improving engine technology, developing hybrid technology for fuels and vehicles and government regulations.
"By reducing light transmission through rear screens into cars, it is possible to reduce air conditioning workloads and thus reduce fuel consumption," he added.
Hj Shahrum pointed out that the current automotive trend is definitely heading towards a more economical and environmentally conscious approach.
The Department of Economic Planning and Development controls pricing in Brunei's automotive market.
The sector has 20 distributors representing more than 30 manufacturers. The local automotive industry has an estimated annual turnover of $0.7 billion.
The Brunei Times
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