Make formal claim for vehicle damage, motorist told
Published on: Tuesday, August 16, 2022
By: Sidney Skinner
3 big scratches can be seen on the passenger’s side of the car which belongs to a Sembulan driver.
A Sembulan motorist is advised to make a formal claim to City Hall for the damage he incurred when part of a streetlight fell on his car, with the agency vowing to be more attentive of any irregularities involving these amenities to minimise the inconvenience caused to the public.The authority’s contractors also resolved the technical problems which rendered the streetlights along two separate Luyang roads inoperative for some time recently.
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A City Hall spokesman confirmed that a bulb and its housing had come away from a streetlight along Jalan Penampang. “A check of our records indicates that the wire, to which these fixtures had been attached, snapped,” he said.
“The damage components were replaced shortly thereafter.”
He said the agency was aware that the falling bulb had dented the roof of a passing car and scratched the body.
“The vehicle-owner, has so far, failed to make an official request for compensation.
The bulb and protective cover, which dented the car and damaged the body, was lying on the road behind the vehicle.
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“We hope that he will make his claim for the repairs in writing and attach a copy of the police report about what happened at the time.”
“The driver should submit these documents to our Finance Department.”
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The spokesman said they would be forwarded to insurance company engaged by City Hall, once the particulars of the incident had been verified internally.
He said the streetlights on the verge and divider at this section of Jalan Penampang were under the agency’s maintenance.
“We will step up our efforts to keep an eye on the main road to ensure that any problems with these amenities are dealt with as soon as possible.
“The contractor, tasked with looking after the lights, has been asked to make periodic checks to ensure that the lights are functional and pre-empt potential dangers to road-users.
“Motorists and pedestrians, who use the stretch, can also do their part to inform us of any problems with these amenities.”
HARIZ of Sembulan was driving down Jalan Penampang towards the traffic light intersection, where the road meets Jalan Wisma Pertanian, when the streetlight fixture fell.
“I was heading in the direction of State Archives, from the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, I area at around 11.30am,” he said.
“I could see the nurses’ hostel on my left, when I heard a loud bang on top of me.
“The impact gave me the shock of my life. Thankfully, I did not lose control of my car and swerve into the traffic in the lane next to mine.”
He said he pulled over to the side to check on the condition of his vehicle.
“I found the bulb lying on the road behind me. I got the impression that the protective cover attached to the light had somehow come away. The roof of my car was dented.
The contractor repairing the lights on Jalan Kolam at night during the heavy rain.
“Worse still, the body of my car was badly scratched. There were three perpendicular lines on the passenger’s side, which looked like some runaway dinosaur from ‘Jurassic Park’ had toyed with my car and left its claw marks behind.”
Hariz said he contacted City Hall about the incident but had yet to hear what the agency intended to do about the damage to his car.
He provided Hotline with the time and date when the bulb fell. This information was forwarded to the agency’s Engineering Department.
Meanwhile, a faulty “contactor and some ignitors” were behind the breakdown of the streetlights at Mile 2 Jalan Kolam and along the housing roads in Taman BPL, according to the spokesman.
He said bulbs for some of the lights along Jalan Budaya, in the latter area, were also found to have blown.
“Sky-masters were deployed to assist in the repairs at both locations.
“Our contractor braved the downpour on Jalan Kolam to replace the ‘contactor’ inside the control panel for the lights on the night they went down.
JAIMON of Luyang bemoaned the lack of illumination between the turn-off to Taman Layang-Layang and Jalan Kolam-Jalan Damai traffic-light intersection, near Foh Sang, at night.
“This situation is hazardous to motorists exiting from the neighbourhood onto the main road as they have to reckon with drivers speeding down the latter stretch,” he said.
“One evening, my car was almost hit by an oncoming road-user while I was on my way from the Layang- Layang area to the City.” Jaimon expressed his concern about the breakdown of the streetlights to the local authorities but claimed that nothing had been done, so far, to restore the lights.
NICA, who lives in Taman BPL, said many of the lights in the neighbourhood had been out of operation for half a year.
She was at a loss to understand how City Hall could have turned a blind eye to this problem.
“There have been several break-ins in the neighbourhood,” Nica said.
“I fear that the unscrupulous parties are taking advantage of the lack of illumination along the road to carry out these misdeeds.”
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