City demolishes vendors' kiosks

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public order officers demolished on Saturday evening dozens of tents, stalls and kiosks erected by sidewalk vendors along busy roads in Kampung Melayu and Jatinegara in East Jakarta.

The demolitions were designed to bring some sense of order to the capital, where vendors operate in an uncontrolled manner.

At least 700 personnel, including policemen and soldiers, were deployed to demolish the stalls and kiosks.

Eight garbage trucks and dozens of operational vehicles from the city's Public Order Agency were also deployed to support the operation, according to Antara.

The demolition turned out to be laborious as some of the vendors' stalls consisted of brick and mortar semipermanent buildings.

Amid attempts to find some of their belongings, ranging from plates, cups to stoves, the vendors said that they were shocked by the demolition as it was done without prior notice.

They questioned why their facilities were destroyed because they claimed that they had paid monthly fees to the authorities for the use of the public plots.

Bambang W., one of the public order officers, said that all property belonging to the street vendors was transported by truck to Cakung, East Jakarta, to be processed.

He said the demolition had been done mainly to enhance traffic flow in the areas.

"The stalls, tents and kiosks owned by the sidewalk vendors obstructed the flow of both pedestrians and vehicles passing along nearby roads," he said. -- JP