Mayor wants vendors to relocate soon

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)