North Jakarta mayor leads kiosk demolition

JAKARTA (JP): North Jakarta Mayor Suprawito led an operation yesterday to tear down 200 kiosks standing along a riverbank and on a railway track in Pademangan.

Suprawito expressed anger that his warnings issued through the subdistrict office were ignored by the traders.

"I want this place immediately cleared or I will tear the kiosks down myself," Suprawito said, as quoted by the Antara news agency.

The operation was aimed at clearing the riverbank and railway of illegal buildings, which he said could also be used as brothels and criminal hideouts.

The report did not say when the kiosks first appeared.

Procedures

The traders admitted they bypassed procedures in erecting their kiosks without any permits.

"I just set it up myself like the others," said Tamrin, a trader. He said the traders pay security and sanitation fees of Rp 700 per day to a hoodlum called Joko.

A coconut seller, Talam, said the traders all know the train schedules by heart and move their makeshift kiosks off the railway line when trains are expected.

Tumini, a vegetable vendor, said accidents have never happened to traders, but once a buyer was hit by a passing train.

The operation continued to an alley off Jl. Pademangan Timur IV, where two other buildings were demolished for lacking building permits. The owners had ignored initial notices telling them to tear down the buildings themselves. (anr)