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)