City prepares for smoking ban<\/p>\n
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Despite doubts over the effectiveness of the new ban on smoking
\nin public places, the Jakarta administration is moving to
\nimplement the ruling in government offices.<\/p>\n
Governor Sutiyoso briefed all five mayors and the Kepulauan
\nSeribu regent on Monday on the implementation of the bylaw.<\/p>\n
"I will require offices and buildings belonging to private
\ncompanies to implement the ruling only after I issue an ancillary
\ngubernatorial decree," he said.<\/p>\n
A two-by-three meter glass smoking room is already in place
\nnear the rear entrance gate at City Hall.<\/p>\n
Only a few smokers were using the room, others saying they
\nwere reluctant because it felt "like being in a fish tank".<\/p>\n
"I spotted several passersby lighting up cigarettes this
\nmorning and advised them to smoke in the room, but they preferred
\nto put out their cigarettes in the ashtray," a public order
\nofficer told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
In the City Council building, two smoking rooms are available
\nin the basement and one in the speakers room.<\/p>\n
City Secretary Ritola Tasmaya said the administration would
\nnot provide a lot of smoking rooms in its offices in order to
\nencourage smokers to kick the habit.<\/p>\n
However, some smokers at City Hall doubted the effectiveness
\nof the new bylaw.<\/p>\n
"I think this ruling will only be effective for a month and
\nthen the situation will return to normal, as if the smoking ban
\nnever existed, just like so many other city regulations," said a
\ncivil servant who did not want to give his name.<\/p>\n
Jakarta has a bundle of bylaws that failed because of
\nineffective enforcement and poor monitoring, like the bylaws on
\npublic order and sanitation.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta Mayor Muhayat said he would summon his
\nsubordinates, including district and subdistrict heads, to brief
\nthem on the implementation of the bylaw later on Monday.<\/p>\n
"We want to ensure that the ruling is carried out down to the
\nlowest administrative level, which is the subdistrict level," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Central Jakarta is the only municipality that has provided a
\nsmoking room in its municipal building, in line with the bylaw,
\nwhich stipulates that city offices must be smoke-free zones.<\/p>\n
Too many offenses, not enough punishments<\/p>\n
Bylaw Provisions Sanctions<\/p>\n
No. 5\/1988 - no littering in parks, streets, three months in prison or a
\non sanitation public places, rivers Rp 50,000 fine<\/p>\n
- no vandalism of walls, trees,<\/p>\n
poles, bridges, fences<\/p>\n
No. 11\/1988
\non public order - pedestrians must walk on sidewalk, six months in prison or a<\/p>\n
crosswalks Rp 50,000 fine<\/p>\n
- public transportation passengers must<\/p>\n
wait for buses at bus stops<\/p>\n
- no squatting on road shoulders,<\/p>\n
under bridges, in parks<\/p>\n
- no businesses allowed in parks, on the side of<\/p>\n
railway tracks, on road shoulders<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/city-prepares-for-smoking-ban-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }