Potholes: A common sight in Bekasi (and Jakarta. And pretty much all of Indonesia, really).
A Bekasi citizen is suing West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan and Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi for the horrific traffic accident that led to the death of his family member. The citizen argues that the accident wouldn’t have happened if roads in Bekasi weren’t so full of potholes.
“The accident happened on February 8. The lawsuit was just filed because we were collecting evidence first,” said Nelson Nikodemus, a public lawyer from the Jakarta Legal Aid Foundation who is representing the citizen, as quoted by Merdeka today.
The victim, Ponti Kadron Nainggolan, rode his motorcycle and swerved as he hit a pothole in Jalan Siliwangi, causing him to collide with a truck coming from the opposite lane.
“The victim was severely injured in the head and was unconscious. Even after he was taken to Thamrin Hospital in Cileungsi, he couldn’t be saved,” Nelson said.
West Java Governor Ahmad Heryawan is being sued for failing to fix the potholes in Jalan Siliwangi. Bekasi Mayor Rahmat Effendi is being sued for failing to install road warning signs about the potholes on the road.
If proven guilty, the governor and the mayor would have to pay around Rp 809 million to the victim’s next of kin, as well as fix the potholes in Jalan Siliwangi. They would also have to publicly apologize to the victim’s family in a newspaper and online media for three days.
