Evicted street vendors want to resume operations
Evicted street vendors want to resume operations
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Dozens of street vendors who had been evicted from Pulogadung bus
terminal in East Jakarta visited the City Council on Wednesday,
asking for the legislators' help to force the city administration
to allow them start trading again.
"We can manage ourselves properly if we are allowed. We won't
cause traffic jams," vendors' association chairman Flator
Tambunan said during the meeting with the council.
He condemned the administration for evicting the vendors on
Sunday morning even though the Council had earlier asked the
administration to hold discussions with the traders first.
More than 1,000 street vendors, however, were forcibly evicted
from in and around the bus terminal. The city transportation
agency chief, Rustam Effendi, claimed that the vendors had been
informed about the plan beforehand.
Councillor Aziz Matnur of the Justice Party said on Wednesday
that the city administration should talk to vendors before
conducting any other eviction operations.
"We will also inspect the Pulo Gadung terminal and discuss the
matter with the vendors," added Aziz, who is a member of the
Council's Commission A for administrative and legal affairs.
Separately, Sutiyoso pledged to continue the administration's
policy of raiding street vendors who were considered to be
disrupting order and security in public places, including
terminals.
"We will allow the vendors to do their jobs, but they must
conduct themselves in an orderly manner. They violate other
people's rights by creating traffic jams and disorder," Sutiyoso
said during a visit to Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East
Jakarta.
He said street vendors also caused losses to their fellow
vendors who paid taxes and occupied official stalls, such as
those in the Kampung Rambutan terminal.
According to Sutiyoso, the city administration planned to
build more stalls in Kampung Rambutan terminal, and also in
Pulogadung terminal, for street vendors.
"But of course, the stalls won't be enough for all the street
traders. This should be understood," he said without mentioning
whether the stalls would be sold or given free of charge to the
street traders.
Activist Azas Tigor Nainggolan, who accompanied the vendors on
their visit to the City Council, said that he had heard the
administration planned to build stalls in the Pulogadung terminal
and sell them to the vendors for Rp 500,000 each.
According to Tigor, who is the chairman of the Jakarta
Residents Forum (Fakta), this was too expensive.
Tigor said the vendors' association also planned to file a
lawsuit against the administration for conducting forced
evictions, and wrecking the vendors' stalls and pushcarts, which
caused millions of rupiah in losses.
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Dozens of street vendors who had been evicted from Pulogadung bus
terminal in East Jakarta visited the City Council on Wednesday,
asking for the legislators' help to force the city administration
to allow them start trading again.
"We can manage ourselves properly if we are allowed. We won't
cause traffic jams," vendors' association chairman Flator
Tambunan said during the meeting with the council.
He condemned the administration for evicting the vendors on
Sunday morning even though the Council had earlier asked the
administration to hold discussions with the traders first.
More than 1,000 street vendors, however, were forcibly evicted
from in and around the bus terminal. The city transportation
agency chief, Rustam Effendi, claimed that the vendors had been
informed about the plan beforehand.
Councillor Aziz Matnur of the Justice Party said on Wednesday
that the city administration should talk to vendors before
conducting any other eviction operations.
"We will also inspect the Pulo Gadung terminal and discuss the
matter with the vendors," added Aziz, who is a member of the
Council's Commission A for administrative and legal affairs.
Separately, Sutiyoso pledged to continue the administration's
policy of raiding street vendors who were considered to be
disrupting order and security in public places, including
terminals.
"We will allow the vendors to do their jobs, but they must
conduct themselves in an orderly manner. They violate other
people's rights by creating traffic jams and disorder," Sutiyoso
said during a visit to Kampung Rambutan bus terminal in East
Jakarta.
He said street vendors also caused losses to their fellow
vendors who paid taxes and occupied official stalls, such as
those in the Kampung Rambutan terminal.
According to Sutiyoso, the city administration planned to
build more stalls in Kampung Rambutan terminal, and also in
Pulogadung terminal, for street vendors.
"But of course, the stalls won't be enough for all the street
traders. This should be understood," he said without mentioning
whether the stalls would be sold or given free of charge to the
street traders.
Activist Azas Tigor Nainggolan, who accompanied the vendors on
their visit to the City Council, said that he had heard the
administration planned to build stalls in the Pulogadung terminal
and sell them to the vendors for Rp 500,000 each.
According to Tigor, who is the chairman of the Jakarta
Residents Forum (Fakta), this was too expensive.
Tigor said the vendors' association also planned to file a
lawsuit against the administration for conducting forced
evictions, and wrecking the vendors' stalls and pushcarts, which
caused millions of rupiah in losses.