People protest deafening sound from Ramayana's loudspeakers

BOGOR (JP): The Ramayana Department Store has stopped their noisy advertising following strong protests from residents living in the vicinity over the deafening sound from the store's loudspeakers.

R. Soetami Koestomo, one of residents living near the chain- department store, said yesterday the store stopped their noisy advertising on Wednesday at the order of township officials.

Residents of Pabaton subdistrict in Central Bogor petitioned the mayor's office about the blaring advertisements coming from the department store, which have been annoying them for the past four months.

Soetami said that residents living in the surrounding area met with the township's secretary, Rumawan Sadli, recently and submitted a petition containing over 100 signatures.

Last March the department store at Pasar Kebon Kembang on Jl. Dewi Sartika began a fiery advertising campaign using loudspeakers installed on top of their building.

The loudspeakers blared advertisements daily from early in the morning until about eight in the evening at a piercing volume, disturbing the personal privacy of residents in the vicinity.

"My house is about 200 meters away and I can still here them," Soetami said.

She said area residents had previously approached Ramayana management four times with their complaints but they went unheeded.

According to Soetami, the store branch manager, Eko Suprihadi, once told area residents that he had to undertake such measures in order to reach sales targets.

Ramayana department store could not be reached for comment.

Ramayana's actions are highly questionable since other department stores, such as Matahari and Internusa in Bogor market, do not inflict neighboring residents with the similar kind of ruckus.

As a final resolve, the residents took their grievances to the town mayor office accusing the department store of disturbing the peace under disturbance law Stbld. 1926 No. 226.

When asked how she felt about the latest developments, Soetami said area residents were encouraged but remain wary because Ramayana might be recalcitrant and continue the practice again.

However she is holding onto the assurances of the township secretary who said that he will revoke the stores license if it ignores the warnings.

Soetami and a number of other residents are scheduled to meet with Mayor Suratman sometime next week to convey the matter further. (mds)