City threatens to demolish street vendors' makeshift kiosks

City threatens to demolish street vendors' makeshift kiosks

JAKARTA (JP): The Central Jakarta mayoralty threatened vendors
on Friday to support city relocation programs or risk the
demolition of their kiosks located along the pavement of the
Senen market area.

The warning was given after the vendors, who had been granted
makeshift kiosks in late 1997 when the economic crisis hit the
country, refused to dismantle their kiosks and relocate.

The mayoralty has offered the vendors to relocate their
businesses to two alternative areas, inside the market compound
under the management of PD Pasar Jaya or in another nearby market
in Central Jakarta.

Vendors, however, rejected the offer on the grounds that the
sites on offer do not look as promising as their present
locations. They also complained that rent for the new locations
was too high.

Most vendors said the present location was strategic enough in
that many passers-by could be lured to buy things that they
displayed in their kiosks.

"We can sell to passers-by directly and they can see our goods
while walking along the streets, without having to climb a stair
to look for the items they need," one of them said, referring to
the relocation sites, one of which is on the third floor of a
market.

As many as 40 vendors are running their shops on the pavement,
seemingly disregarding the officials' appeals.

But officials of the mayoralty insisted on Friday that they
move to the new sites or face demolition. The makeshift kiosks in
the Senen area have disrupted traffic patterns and resulted in an
unkempt situation in Senen, the officials said.

The officials briefed the vendors of the city's plan and hoped
to persuade them to accept the offer while accommodating their
aspirations. The two sides, however, did not reach an agreement
regarding the issue.

Responding to the vendors' demands, the assistant of the
development division, Bambang Sudiono, said that the plan to
demolish the kiosks is part of the government's efforts to
restore orderliness and cleanliness to the area.

"The vendors should also understand and accept wholeheartedly
the mayoralty's plans to have a clean and orderly area," Bambang
said.

"Now that the country's economy is improving, permits to build
temporary kiosks will be revoked." (06)