Jakarta DPRD Demands Stricter Regulation and Supervision of Heavy Vehicles After Footbridge Collapse

Jakarta (ANTARA) - A member of the Jakarta Regional House of Representatives (DPRD), Achmad Yani, stated that the collapse of a pedestrian bridge (JPO) in the Tendean area of South Jakarta should serve as a critical moment for the Jakarta Provincial Government and relevant agencies to tighten supervision of operational hours and regulations concerning vehicle load and height limits on the capital’s roads. He noted that the losses from the incident are not merely physical damage to infrastructure but also massive economic losses due to total traffic gridlock that paralysed community activities. “The collapse of the JPO in Tendean is a loud alarm. Public facilities built with the people’s money were destroyed because of violations of traffic regulations. We cannot allow over-dimension and over-load (ODOL) vehicles, or those violating operational hours, to roam freely without strict supervision,” Achmad said in Jakarta on Wednesday. He assessed that the rules regarding operational hour restrictions for trucks and heavy vehicles on protocol roads are already very clear. However, weak supervision and law enforcement in the field allow violations to recur, leading to fatal accidents that damage public facilities. Fellow DPRD member Yuke Yurike also urged that the trucking company responsible for hitting the bridge be given appropriate sanctions. “We fully entrust the investigation and legal process to the authorities in accordance with the applicable rules. Whether the company’s business licence should be revoked, for example, or other appropriate sanctions,” Yuke stressed. She further appealed to drivers of large trucks or containers to always exercise caution while driving and not to force their vehicles through routes that are clearly impassable for them.