The Tangled Cables that Threaten Human Lives
Monday, January 8, 2024
The case of Sultan Rifat Alfatih, who had an accident caused by a slew of tangled cables, looks like it will be put on ice. A similar threat awaits all road users.
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ON average, every month in the past year, a motorist suffered an accident caused by a slew of tangled cables on the road. At least two lives were lost in a series of accidents in Jakarta, Bandung, Sleman, Pekanbaru, Bandar Lampung, and Makassar. Certainly these tragedies were not because the victims ran into bad luck, but were caused by negligence of cable operators whom the government choose to ignore.
For this, the Jakarta Metropolitan Police needs to thoroughly investigate the carelessness of Bali Towerindo Sentra in the case of the accident suffered by Sultan Rifat Alfatih last year. This is not only to obtain justice for Sultan, but because legal scrutiny is needed to serve as a warning to cable network operators against sloppy management of infrastructure that uses public space. Regarding Sultan’s case as a mere accident is akin to allowing more victims to go ahead and have accidents in future.
It is truly anomalous if the processing of the police report submitted by Sultan’s family in August 2023 is halted midway. Last week, on December 28, 2023, the Jakarta Police Chief Insp. Gen. Karyoto declared that his team found no criminal element in the case. The police chief also declared Bali Towerindo not guilty in the accident that befell Sultan.
It is befitting if we are suspicious of Karyoto’s stance, which has a whiff of defending the cable network company. More so, because one day after Karyoto’s statement, Sultan’s family received information from the investigating team that scrutiny towards their report was still ongoing. In fact, seeking evidence of negligence on the part of the cable company surely is not complicated.
That Thursday evening, January 5, 2023, the fiber optic cables belonging to the Bali Towerindo company that hang over Jalan Antasari, South Jakarta, could be seen dangling over the thoroughfare. As the cables became entangled with a vehicle, the steel-covered cables sprang to the back of the vehicle and snapped Sultan, who was driving a motorbike, on the neck. The 20-year-old man survived. But to date he needs intravenous feeding and has lost the ability to talk.
Investigators should scrutinize the reports of local residents who related to Sultan’s family how the Bali Towerindo cables had been dangling and lying strewn on the roadway for several days before the accident happened. Regarding the condition of their cables, a company inspector who made an inspection on December 26, 2023, over a week before Sultan’s mishap, claimed that at the time the cables were strung up safely above ground.
As regards the dangling cables, it is imperative Bali Towerindo take responsibility for their sloppy infrastructure that has caused serious injury to a member of the public. Law No. 38/2004 on Roads firmly states the prohibition of any occurrence that disrupts the function of a road, including any that may cause accidents. The ruling also comes with the threat of criminal action taken against violators.
Accidents suffered by dozens of victims annually would never happen if the government was serious in conducting their function as regulator and overseer of road use. It has been a while since the government, both central and regional, stated the decision to create integrated utility networks to remove all entangled cables hanging over urban roads and roadsides. But it seems the interest of regional revenue and cost efficiency for companies is regarded far more valuable compared to human lives.
