Luh De Suriyani, Denpasar – Dozens of young people from the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Wahli) staged a rally by riding their bicycles along the crowded and polluted streets of Denpasar to mark World Environment Day, which falls this Friday.

On Jl. Sudirman, one of the city's busiest streets, 25 young people performed a theatrical show calling on people to open the windows of their air-conditioned vehicles. "Open your car windows and feel the grueling heat of Denpasar," shouted one participant, saying that air-conditioners had created serious air pollution and affected the ozone layer.

Many car owners felt aggravated by the road blockade and honked their horns. Protest coordinator Kadek Dwi Dharmawan reminded car owners and Denpasar residents of severe pollution threats in Bali.

"Denpasar has transformed from a quiet city into the island's worst city, packed with cars and motorcycles that produce abundant carbon dioxide emissions in the city."

The rapid growth of high-rise buildings has worsened the city's landscape. "Many construction developers have violated existing regulations by constructing buildings more than 15 meters high," he said.

Darmawan also said that both provincial and regency administrations had been working hard to boost vehicle taxes to generate more revenue for the local government.

Data from the provincial tax office revealed that 85 percent of the province's Rp 1.08 trillion (US$1.08 billion) revenue was generated from vehicle tax. Bali currently has 1.5 million cars and motorcycles, a 13 percent increase from 2008.

The proposed spatial plan, to be used as a guide for future development in Bali over the next 20 years, does not include any plans for pedestrians, bicycle and public transportation routes, or public parks. I.B. Suryaatmaja, deputy chairman of the Bali Legislative Council, said Denpasar faced serious traffic problems due to poor development plans.