500 street vendors ousted from T. Abang

JAKARTA: About 500 sidewalk vendors at the Tanah Abang textile market in Central Jakarta have lost their right to space in the market following relocation to the market's Block G, formerly the Kebon Jati traditional market.

"We are only relocating 1,257 sidewalk vendors and another 600 small vendors. We are not responsible for unregistered vendors," said the director of city-owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya, Prabowo Soenirman.

Siti Rusmiati, who takes patchwork orders, said that she could not afford the high rent in the new place, which costs Rp 5 million per square meter.

The administration cleared all stalls the vendors occupied on Saturday evening as part of a plan to convert the market into a shopping mall.

The renovation project, however, has received strong opposition from the traders as well as the City Council amid fear that small traders would be sidelined.--JP