Dedi Mulyadi Proposes Humane Solution for Cicadas Bandung Street Vendors

The long-standing challenge of organising street vendors (PKL) along Cicadas in Bandung has finally found a breakthrough. West Java Governor Dedi Mulyadi, popularly known as KDM, took a pioneering step by offering a transition to new professions for hundreds of vendors along Jalan Ahmad Yani in Bandung, into roles as city cleaning staff under the provincial road facilities maintenance authority.

In direct talks with kiosk owners, KDM guaranteed new daytime employment with wages aligned to the City Minimum Wage (UMK). He said the move would make Bandung cleaner and more orderly, while ensuring the lower income groups had access to a more secure income to alleviate poverty.

Unlike typical crackdowns, the relocation process at Cicadas was voluntary. As a gesture of support during the transition, KDM bought all remaining merchandise, from over-the-counter stalls to fish and even spectacles. In addition, temporary livelihood support was provided to the vendors before they officially start work. The dismantling of stalls was aided by heavy machinery, but leftover materials such as iron and wood were given to the vendors so they can be repurposed.

Through this reform, the Cicadas Market pedestrian area is hoped to again function as an attractive public space for pedestrians, while also elevating the economic dignity of the vendors through more stable employment.