Falling tiles and concrete crumbling off buildings are being more widely reported in the media as threatening public safety, Macau General Union of Neighbourhood Associations Vice President Wong Chou Tim said Tuesday, urging the government to make building maintenance compulsory to stop the situation from getting worse.
The association is customarily known as Kai Fong.
Wong made the comment yesterday after a press conference for the association’s annual “Neighbourhood Festival” to be held from July 6 to August 17, which aims to inspire residents to help their neighbours and provide care in the community.
Wong said that the Lands, Public Works and Transport Bureau (DSSOPT) should issue a notice to building management companies or ownership associations about the severity of the repairs and maintenance required to their buildings.
“The government should take it a step further,” Wong said, adding that instead of only sending officials to inspect the safety of buildings and put together a database on the state of the buildings, the government should also make the repair work compulsory to prevent accidents happening.
“They should make it compulsory for owners to carry out the repairs once they receive a notice from the government otherwise every year during the typhoon season, the same thing will happen – tiles will fall off,” Wong said.
The DSSOPT recorded a total of 59 cases of safety concerns of buildings around the city in the first five months this year, but the bureau said that none were of major risk to public safety.(macaunews)
