Authorities threatens to seal 8 unsafe parking buildings

JAKARTA (Jakarta Post): The Jakarta property management and control agency said on Tuesday it had found eight out of 22 parking buildings it recently checked unsafe.

"Those eight buildings need to be renovated with stronger structures," agency head Hari Sasongko said.

"Otherwise, we'll seal the buildings."

The investigation of 22 parking buildings, most of them in shopping malls, was carried out from Jan. 25 to 30 after an accident that saw a car drive off the Menara Jamsostek building in South Jakarta.

Hari said the buildings that were found unsafe had failed to meet minimum safety requirements set in a 2007 regulation on building structures and geotechnology planning.

The regulation says walls in parking buildings must be strong enough to withstand collisions.

Hari said the control agency had required building managers to propose and submit designs at least one month before commencing renovations.

"Their designs must be approved by an agency-appointed independent team prior to the renovations," he said.

Hari said the eight unsafe buildings included Cempaka Mas International Trade Center, Menteng Prada Apartment and up-scale mall Senayan City, all in Central Jakarta, as well as shopping centers Plaza Semanggi and Pasaraya Grande in South Jakarta.

During the investigation, Hari said the agency found another three parking buildings under renovation and 11 that had met safety standards.

Managers of the 11 parking buildings, however, were still required to submit designs.

The agency said it had conducted safety checks after a number of cars had driven off the side of two parking buildings.

The most recent accident took place last month at the Menara Jamsostek building, South Jakarta, where a 42-year-old chauffeur was killed after backing his car through a steel fence.

Two carpark accidents took place last year at Permata Hijau International Trade Center in Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta.

A family of three was killed when their vehicle fell from the sixth floor of the carpark and the second accident occurred when a driver lost control and rolled backwards, smashing through the one meter-high wall of the spiral ramp.(mtq)