Kemayoran vendors to be evicted

JAKARTA: The Central Jakarta municipal administration plans to evict sidewalk vendors from the main roads of Kemayoran early on Wednesday.

Mayor Hosea Petra Lumbun said on Tuesday his office would not relocate the vendors, saying their presence on the streets only worsened traffic.

Petra said the evictions would target vendors on Jl. Cempaka Mas, Jl. Garuda, Jl. Letjen Suprapto and Jl. Benyamin Sueb.

Kemayoran Regent Sutarman Hadi said the stalls of the vendors jutted out into the roads, disturbing traffic.

He said 100 police officers, soldiers and public order officers would be deployed to carry out the evictions.

A vendor on Jl. Letjen Suprapto said he would risk eviction and open his stall as usual on Wednesday.

"If we are evicted what else can we do to earn a living? The Idul Fitri holiday just ended and I spent all my money on the holiday," Yadi, 38, said as quoted by Beritajakarta. -- JP