Ciputat Market faces uncertain future

Ciputat Market faces uncertain future

Sari P. Setiogi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

One of the most popular traditional markets in the Greater
Jakarta area is Ciputat Market. But looking at its present
condition, people may doubt whether the market -- which was
established in 1932 by the Dutch colonial government -- will
survive for much longer.

This traditional market, where activities go on for almost 24
hours a day, has a trademark: It is always wet and muddy, no
matter the season, so most vendors and regular buyers there wear
rubber boots so they can walk around freely.

It did not take me long to get soaked in ankle-deep water and
mud. Some rudimentary bridges were set up here and there as a way
for those who wanted to walk across puddles, made simply from
pieces of thin wood panels or plywood. Some had already sunk into
the mud.

I felt lucky when I saw a relatively dry surface -- at least
it was only muddy. But then I realized it was just the beginning:
A flattened carcass of a rat lay on the ground before me. If I
had not been looking, I might have stepped on it since it had
almost become as one with the muddy ground. I could only sigh.

Garbage piled up on sidewalks, inviting flies, cockroaches and
rats to hang around. Some more dead rats could be found strewn
along the 15-meter market.

And don't ask about the smell! The stench of rotten
vegetables, fruits and decomposed rodents are never friendly to
our noses.

Sudanang Dananjaya, a resident of Ciputat since 1985 and the
developer of the Ciputat community website,
http://www.cintaciputat.com (meaning "love Ciputat"), questioned
the hygiene of the produce sold at Ciputat Market.

"The vendors just put their goods on the dirty, muddy ground.
Flies, mosquitoes and dust may perch on them. I think that even
washing them would not be enough.

"As an alternative, I prefer to shop at the minimarket nearby,
like Indomart. I wish they would also sell vegetables and fruits
there," he said.

"For my family's daily needs, I buy vegetables and fruits at a
stall in my neighborhood. Of course, the prices might be twice as
high, but it is a lot better than going to Ciputat Market," he
sighed.

"I go there only if I am going to prepare food for special
occasions, like parties, and need to buy all sorts of goods in
bulk."

The market's condition and hygiene are not the only issues.
During the day, the problem is worsened by the chaotic traffic.
Public transportation vehicles like mikrolet (public minivan) and
ojek (motorcycle taxis) never operate in a disciplined manner,
stopping for passengers anywhere they like. It is an everyday
phenomenon that only one lane out of the four-lane Jl. Dewi
Sartika can be used by other motorists as a result of the lack of
discipline in both drivers and passengers.

"The rubbish thrown on the sidewalks also contributes to the
chaotic traffic. Piles of coconut fiber or decomposed fruits and
vegetables force people to walk in the road. Even the vendors
occupy parts of the road to display their goods there," said
Effendi Yahya, an executive who passes the street everyday.

"I have to spend at least one hour passing this area during
rush hour," he said.

Sudanang, whose office is on Jl. Jend. Gatot Subroto, South
Jakarta, has the same complaint. "I have to leave home soon after
the morning prayer (about 5 a.m.) to go to the office. Any later
than that, I will be late because of the traffic through
Ciputat."

Hermanto Wijaya, whose relative owns a shop at Ciputat Market,
gave a good explanation as to why the vendors spilled out into
the street.

"After the fire there in 1997, the traditional vendors were
relocated to the basement of the new building, which was very
inhumane. It was smelly and muddy, while the excessive number of
vendors made it stuffy, and there was no ventilation to bring in
fresh air.

"Later, hardly any shoppers -- mostly housewives -- were
willing to go there. So the vendors moved out onto the street."

Today, there are more than a hundred vendors along Jl. Dewi
Sartika. They sell chicken, vegetables and fruits, and use the
sidewalk for their businesses, crowding the pathway originally
built for pedestrians.

A few days after the Idul Fitri holidays, the Ciputat district
administration built 1.5-meter-high fences along the sidewalks of
Jl. Dewi Sartika.

"We planned to put the vendors in order. Vendors are allowed
to sell their wares only behind the fences. Hopefully, they will
not go out onto the street like before," said Tatang, an officer
from the Ciputat district administration.

Chaerul, a plastic bag vendor in Ciputat and also a vendor
coordinator, said he heard that a census for vendors would be
conducted and a better place for them would be built soon.

"I heard that the Ciputat district administration will build
1.5-square-meters stalls with awnings. We have to pay about Rp 5
million (US$560) for that but they said they would accept a
credit payment scheme," he said.

"We expect this to become a reality shortly before the grand
opening of the Ramayana store," said Chaerul, pointing to a brand
new department store at the junction.

Tatang, however, refused to comment on this when asked for his
opinion.

Raids have been carried out many times to drive the vendors
away from the area, but experience shows that they always come
back within a week or two.

As Sudanang says, building fences or raiding vendors will not
solve the problem at Ciputat Market. "These are only temporary
and sporadic solutions. It would be better if the Ciputat
district administration renovates the market structure for the
traditional vendors, and this time, enforce cleanliness."

"Maybe the administration should learn from what has been done
at Ciledug Market. A similar situation existed there, but it is
now a lot better," said Evita Bahrul, a housewife who used to
shop at Ciputat Market, but switched to nearby supermarkets for
her family's shopping needs.

Observing conditions at Ciputat Market and its surroundings,
it is not improbable that the market will soon become history.
And if the government cannot make any effective improvements to
the market, people will switch to modern markets, like
supermarkets or minimarkets.

One-stop hypermarkets like Makro and Carrefour are easily
accessible in the neighborhood. Aside from shopping, they also
offer a nice option for a family outing in a clean, comfortable
and safe environment with better facilities. Minimarkets, like
Indomart or traditional vegetable and fruit stands, also offer
daily goods to residents at reasonable prices.

Traditional markets, like the one in Ciputat, usually offer an
interesting outing and a special experience for both buyers and
vendors in a communal atmosphere. People there have a tighter
social bond, as compared to the more individualistic
relationships at modern markets.

In some cases, traditional markets have become fascinating
tourist destinations, like Klewer Market in Surakarta, Central
Java, and Beringharjo Market in Yogyakarta.

In much the same way, Ciputat Market could be a valuable city
heritage in the midst of a rapid development towards all things
modern. The local administration soon needs to decide whether to
keep the market alive or to just let it die and become a memory
of one of the most popular traditional markets in Greater
Jakarta.