Fauzi orders trees checked after extraordinary storm

Governor Fauzi Bowo is ordering his subordinates to conduct a “thorough re-examination” of the city’s trees and billboards in the wake of Thursday destructive storm.

“I want officials to conduct more frequent and closer routine patrols,” Fauzi said here on Friday.

In less than an hour, the heavy rain and strong winds that buffeted the city on Thursday uprooted 87 trees and severely damaged 82 more, and further caused three billboards to collapse, killing two and damaging numerous vehicles and homes.

Fauzi, however, said that the storm was abnormal and extraordinary. “It was strong, very strong.”

The Governor blamed the collapsed billboards on shoddy construction work.

“They fell because their foundations were not strong. The joints that connected the signs to the posts were not solid.”

Fauzi said he instructed the Jakarta Building Monitoring and Supervisory Agency and the Jakarta Tax Agency to carry out a “complete” review of the city’s billboards, promising to tighten building construction permits.

Residents who suffered damage caused by falling trees can seek compensation from the Jakarta Cemetery and Parks Agency.

The agency will pay up to Rp 10 million (US$1,100) for claims submitted with photographs and police letters of acknowledgement.

Compensation for damage from falling billboards must be covered by the managers of the billboards, as mandated by their contracts with the city administration.

The storm caused disruptions to commuter rail lines and substantially worsened the city’s already horrendous rush-hour traffic.

The Jakarta Transportation Board estimated at least Rp 270 billion in fuel was wasted after the storm fouled traffic for up to six hours.

Consumer lawyer David Tobing said that the city administration, the advertising agencies that managed the collapsed billboards and the companies that rented the billboards must all be held responsible for damages.

According to David, those responsible cannot use force majeure as a reason not to pay for damages caused by the collapsed billboards.

“If there are many billboards in the area and only one collapsed; it’s negligence, not force majeure. If all billboards in the area fall down, only then can it be called force majeure,” David told The Jakarta Post.

David said the government should have put more effort into anticipating storm-related accidents.

“The people can file a class-action lawsuit against the city administration if they think the prevention efforts made so far are not enough,” he said.

The Jakarta Police are investigating if negligence is behind the collapsed billboards.

Jakarta Police traffic directorate security and public safety chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Yakub Dedi Kurniawan said that detectives from the criminal investigations directorate and specialists from the forensics laboratory would join the investigation. (mim)