Mayor wants vendors to relocate soon

JAKARTA (JP): Central Jakarta mayor Andi S. Abdullah urged the City owned market operator PD Pasar Jaya on Tuesday to be more active implementing the relocation program of street vendors operating in Senen district.

Andi reiterated his appeal because the implementation of the program was too slow and still posing problems to traffic flow in the area.

He said PD Pasar Jaya should understand the urgency of relocating some 170 street vendors who have been occupying public sidewalks and streets in front of the Senen market to display their merchandise.

He warned PD Pasar Jaya to be more serious in handling relocation of the street vendors to Blok VI of Pasar Senen by demolishing the existing kiosks in the block and replace them with standardized ones.

"Market operators could play an important role in redesigning the second floor of the Blok VI market to accommodate some 200 vendors," he said, adding that redesigning meant converting the floor into a prospective business area.

Blaming PD Pasar Jaya for its sluggishness in developing the program, Andi said, "The existing kiosks are only renovated and still not functional for doing businesses. Those kiosks function only as warehouses now."

He added, however, that the mayoralty has plans to extend the bridge in front of Senen Atrium, a plush shopping center opposite Pasar Senen, so that people could walk to Blok VI and the bus terminal.

"We will allocate Rp 125 million for the bridge extension. That will link the two shopping areas, allowing shoppers and passers-by to cross the busy street without hampering traffic flow," explained the mayor.

He said he expected the extension of the bridge, which will take three months, would help revive business on the second floor of Blok VI, which eventually would boost the City's income from retribution of the street vendors.(06)