City demolishes vendors' kiosks

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