Ciputat Market faces uncertain future<\/p>\n
Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
One of the most popular traditional markets in the Greater
\nJakarta area is Ciputat Market. But looking at its present
\ncondition, people may doubt whether the market -- which was
\nestablished in 1932 by the Dutch colonial government -- will
\nsurvive for much longer.<\/p>\n
This traditional market, where activities go on for almost 24
\nhours a day, has a trademark: It is always wet and muddy, no
\nmatter the season, so most vendors and regular buyers there wear
\nrubber boots so they can walk around freely.<\/p>\n
It did not take me long to get soaked in ankle-deep water and
\nmud. Some rudimentary bridges were set up here and there as a way
\nfor those who wanted to walk across puddles, made simply from
\npieces of thin wood panels or plywood. Some had already sunk into
\nthe mud.<\/p>\n
I felt lucky when I saw a relatively dry surface -- at least
\nit was only muddy. But then I realized it was just the beginning:
\nA flattened carcass of a rat lay on the ground before me. If I
\nhad not been looking, I might have stepped on it since it had
\nalmost become as one with the muddy ground. I could only sigh.<\/p>\n
Garbage piled up on sidewalks, inviting flies, cockroaches and
\nrats to hang around. Some more dead rats could be found strewn
\nalong the 15-meter market.<\/p>\n
And don't ask about the smell! The stench of rotten
\nvegetables, fruits and decomposed rodents are never friendly to
\nour noses.<\/p>\n
Sudanang Dananjaya, a resident of Ciputat since 1985 and the
\ndeveloper of the Ciputat community website,
\nhttp:\/\/www.cintaciputat.com (meaning \"love Ciputat\"), questioned
\nthe hygiene of the produce sold at Ciputat Market.<\/p>\n
\"The vendors just put their goods on the dirty, muddy ground.
\nFlies, mosquitoes and dust may perch on them. I think that even
\nwashing them would not be enough.<\/p>\n
\"As an alternative, I prefer to shop at the minimarket nearby,
\nlike Indomart. I wish they would also sell vegetables and fruits
\nthere,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"For my family's daily needs, I buy vegetables and fruits at a
\nstall in my neighborhood. Of course, the prices might be twice as
\nhigh, but it is a lot better than going to Ciputat Market,\" he
\nsighed.<\/p>\n
\"I go there only if I am going to prepare food for special
\noccasions, like parties, and need to buy all sorts of goods in
\nbulk.\"<\/p>\n
The market's condition and hygiene are not the only issues.
\nDuring the day, the problem is worsened by the chaotic traffic.
\nPublic transportation vehicles like mikrolet (public minivan) and
\nojek (motorcycle taxis) never operate in a disciplined manner,
\nstopping for passengers anywhere they like. It is an everyday
\nphenomenon that only one lane out of the four-lane Jl. Dewi
\nSartika can be used by other motorists as a result of the lack of
\ndiscipline in both drivers and passengers.<\/p>\n
\"The rubbish thrown on the sidewalks also contributes to the
\nchaotic traffic. Piles of coconut fiber or decomposed fruits and
\nvegetables force people to walk in the road. Even the vendors
\noccupy parts of the road to display their goods there,\" said
\nEffendi Yahya, an executive who passes the street everyday.<\/p>\n
\"I have to spend at least one hour passing this area during
\nrush hour,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Sudanang, whose office is on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, South
\nJakarta, has the same complaint. \"I have to leave home soon after
\nthe morning prayer (about 5 a.m.) to go to the office. Any later
\nthan that, I will be late because of the traffic through
\nCiputat.\"<\/p>\n
Hermanto Wijaya, whose relative owns a shop at Ciputat Market,
\ngave a good explanation as to why the vendors spilled out into
\nthe street.<\/p>\n
\"After the fire there in 1997, the traditional vendors were
\nrelocated to the basement of the new building, which was very
\ninhumane. It was smelly and muddy, while the excessive number of
\nvendors made it stuffy, and there was no ventilation to bring in
\nfresh air.<\/p>\n
\"Later, hardly any shoppers -- mostly housewives -- were
\nwilling to go there. So the vendors moved out onto the street.\"<\/p>\n
Today, there are more than a hundred vendors along Jl. Dewi
\nSartika. They sell chicken, vegetables and fruits, and use the
\nsidewalk for their businesses, crowding the pathway originally
\nbuilt for pedestrians.<\/p>\n
A few days after the Idul Fitri holidays, the Ciputat district
\nadministration built 1.5-meter-high fences along the sidewalks of
\nJl. Dewi Sartika.<\/p>\n
\"We planned to put the vendors in order. Vendors are allowed
\nto sell their wares only behind the fences. Hopefully, they will
\nnot go out onto the street like before,\" said Tatang, an officer
\nfrom the Ciputat district administration.<\/p>\n
Chaerul, a plastic bag vendor in Ciputat and also a vendor
\ncoordinator, said he heard that a census for vendors would be
\nconducted and a better place for them would be built soon.<\/p>\n
\"I heard that the Ciputat district administration will build
\n1.5-square-meters stalls with awnings. We have to pay about Rp 5
\nmillion (US$560) for that but they said they would accept a
\ncredit payment scheme,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We expect this to become a reality shortly before the grand
\nopening of the Ramayana store,\" said Chaerul, pointing to a brand
\nnew department store at the junction.<\/p>\n
Tatang, however, refused to comment on this when asked for his
\nopinion.<\/p>\n
Raids have been carried out many times to drive the vendors
\naway from the area, but experience shows that they always come
\nback within a week or two.<\/p>\n
As Sudanang says, building fences or raiding vendors will not
\nsolve the problem at Ciputat Market. \"These are only temporary
\nand sporadic solutions. It would be better if the Ciputat
\ndistrict administration renovates the market structure for the
\ntraditional vendors, and this time, enforce cleanliness.\"<\/p>\n
\"Maybe the administration should learn from what has been done
\nat Ciledug Market. A similar situation existed there, but it is
\nnow a lot better,\" said Evita Bahrul, a housewife who used to
\nshop at Ciputat Market, but switched to nearby supermarkets for
\nher family's shopping needs.<\/p>\n
Observing conditions at Ciputat Market and its surroundings,
\nit is not improbable that the market will soon become history.
\nAnd if the government cannot make any effective improvements to
\nthe market, people will switch to modern markets, like
\nsupermarkets or minimarkets.<\/p>\n
One-stop hypermarkets like Makro and Carrefour are easily
\naccessible in the neighborhood. Aside from shopping, they also
\noffer a nice option for a family outing in a clean, comfortable
\nand safe environment with better facilities. Minimarkets, like
\nIndomart or traditional vegetable and fruit stands, also offer
\ndaily goods to residents at reasonable prices.<\/p>\n
Traditional markets, like the one in Ciputat, usually offer an
\ninteresting outing and a special experience for both buyers and
\nvendors in a communal atmosphere. People there have a tighter
\nsocial bond, as compared to the more individualistic
\nrelationships at modern markets.<\/p>\n
In some cases, traditional markets have become fascinating
\ntourist destinations, like Klewer Market in Surakarta, Central
\nJava, and Beringharjo Market in Yogyakarta.<\/p>\n
In much the same way, Ciputat Market could be a valuable city
\nheritage in the midst of a rapid development towards all things
\nmodern. The local administration soon needs to decide whether to
\nkeep the market alive or to just let it die and become a memory
\nof one of the most popular traditional markets in Greater
\nJakarta.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ciputat-market-faces-uncertain-future-1447893297",
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