An area set aside for street diggers

JAKARTA (JP): Trisakti University in West Jakarta agreed on Monday to reserve a space under the nearby Grogol flyover for street diggers.

The university, together with West Jakarta mayoralty, had planned to use the whole area under the Grogol flyover in front of its building, as a parking lot.

But apparently, street diggers have been using the area as a place to gather and attract customers for the past 50 years.

In a written statement received on Tuesday, the street diggers, represented by the Urban Poor Consortium, came to the West Jakarta mayor's office last Thursday to submit their complaint.

After a series of discussions with representatives from the mayoralty and the university, the university agreed to reserve one third of the area for the street diggers.

In the meeting, the university also agreed to make a more suitable place for the street diggers to gather in the area.(hdn)