City responsible for street vendors

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Street vendors in the capital have long been blamed for causing traffic congestion, with many of them cramming the sidewalks and encroaching onto the road.

But non-governmental organization Jakarta Residents Forum (Fakta) says Jakarta Administration, not the vendors, is to blame for failing to accommodate these businesses.

"In fact, the administration could have managed the street vendors at a minimum cost by setting up regulations and letting the (vendors) manage the business by themselves," Fakta head Azas Tigor Nainggolan said on Saturday.

Tigor said street vendors, who started their business with their own money, could be required to trade in an orderly fashion and to create a clean environment around their stalls.

He pointed to street vendors at Jembatan Besi in West Jakarta and Rawamangun and Jatinegara in East Jakarta, who were complying with local bylaws to keep their areas clean and well-ordered.

"They have agreed with the municipality's policy to run their business within suggested hours in order to ease crowds, especially during peak hours," he said.

According to Tigor, such efforts were more effective and efficient than the administration's policy of evicting and relocating vendors.

That policy has often failed as vendors usually refused to move to the new, less-lucrative, locations. The vendors' rejection of the policy sometimes ends in violent clashes between them and city public order officers.

Jakarta Cooperatives and Small-Medium Enterprises Agency head Samsul Hilaltaha said earlier the administration could not accommodate the growing number of street vendors in the city due to the limited space available.

The agency was already facing financial constraints in providing land for around 147,000 registered street vendors. The constant increases in the taxable value of property was not helping, Samsul said.

He said the agency had bought a total of 103,038 square meters of land in 22 locations across the city to accommodate street vendors between 1987 and 2003.

The locations, however, could only accommodate 6,609 registered vendors as recorded in a 2002 survey.

The administration has to issue a gubernatorial decree every year to regulate 320 places across the city as spaces for a total of 14,243 unregistered vendors.

"Unfortunately, the growing number of locations has still failed to accommodate the ever-increasing number of street vendors," Samsul said.

22 locations for street vendors

Central Jakarta
Locations Width
1. Jl. Pulo Gundul, Tanah Tinggi 1,030 sqm
2. Jl. Abdulgani, Galur 2,835 sqm
3. Jl. Palmerah Barat, Palmerah 5,367 sqm
4. Jl. Cempaka Sari 2,427 sqm

South Jakarta
1. Jl. Muria Raya, Menteng Atas 5,960 sqm
2. Jl. Bintaro Permai, Pesanggrahan 4,772 sqm
3. Jl. Terminal Baru, Pasar Minggu 8,000 sqm

East Jakarta
1. Jl. Raya Bogor, Kramatjati 2,461 sqm
2. Jl. Nusa I, Kramatjati 3,296 sqm
3. Jl. Kerja Bhakti, Makasar 4,398 sqm
4. Jl. Swadaya II, Rawa Terate 2,850 sqm
5. Jl. Raya Bogor, Susukan, Ciracas 2,249 sqm
6. Jl. Raya Hankam, Munjul, Cipayung 9,120 sqm
7. Jl. Raya Bogor, Kramatjati 2,200 sqm

West Jakarta
1. Jl. Bangun Nusa II, Cengkareng 2,500 sqm
2. Jl. Lingkungan III, Tegal Alur 3,000 sqm
3. Jl. Meruya Utara, Meruya Ilir 4,143 sqm
4. Jl. Outer Ring Road, Rawa Buaya 16,864 sqm

North Jakarta
1. Jl. Lorong 103, Koja 2,910 sqm
2. Jl. Tipar Cakung 4,945 sqm
3. Rorotan, Koja 5,711 sqm
4. Jl. Lorong 104, Koja 6,000 sqm

Source: Jakarta Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Agency