More vendors to be evicted

JAKARTA: Thousands of street vendors will be evicted from Jl. Fachrudin near the Tanah Abang market, Central Jakarta public order office head Frans Hodden Silalahi on Saturday.

"Starting Sunday (Apr. 10), street vendors will be prohibited from operating on Jl. Fachrudin. We will return the area's function to that of a pedestrian pavement," he was quoted as saying by the Beritajakarta.com news website.

Central Jakarta deputy mayor Dadang Effendi said about 1,200 street vendors had businesses on the road blocking pavements and road shoulders, hindering access to motor traffic.

He said motorists had often complained about traffic congestion along the road from the Jl. Fachrudin-Jl. Wahid Hasyim intersection to the Millennium Hotel.

About 300 public order officers would be deployed to the area, Dadang said. --JP