Jembatan Lima mart back to normal

JAKARTA (JP): A number of Jembatan Lima traders, who recently left the market on the instruction of authorities, have returned to join those who still refuse to move.

By the weekend, dozens of traders had returned to reopen their businesses at the West Jakarta market, which the market authority PD Pasar Jaya, planned to renovate.

The market authority built a makeshift market, consisting of 531 kiosks, to accommodate them.

But many of the traders complained that the area where the new market now stands was completely inundated by floods whenever the nearby river overflowed.

A number of traders said they were willing to obey the authority's order to move but had returned after they heard the renovation plan had been called off.

Others said they returned because the makeshift kiosks did not meet the conditions of a good market.

"We have returned here because the others feel they are free to stay and the recent announcement by PD Pasar Jaya has no legal basis," a trader, who identified herself as Leni, told The Jakarta Post.

The traders were convinced they were on the right side of the law after reading a recent statement by a City Councilor saying that PD Pasar Jaya had no right to force them to leave.

The traders stuck the statement, which was printed in a weekly newspaper last week, on the market wall.

Another trader, Chik Aman, also returned to the old market after friends told her renovation work had been postponed.

"I am very happy to be back here because during my 13-day trading at the makeshift market I managed to sell nothing but two candles," she said.

Aman said she was bored because there were few customers. "There were hardly any fellow traders near my kiosk, so I could not even change money," she added.

The traders were told to vacate Jembatan Lima market for the first time on Feb. 15 and given five days to move. The second warning was given on Feb. 24, and the third on Feb. 28.

By Saturday PD Pasar Jaya had not issued any new warning. Its officials were waiting for people to get their keys for the new kiosks.

According to a staff member of PD Pasar Jaya, 81 percent of the 583 Jembatan Lima traders had collected their keys, but only 50 kiosks were in operation. (13)