'Old City' vendors to be relocated

Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The West Jakarta administration revealed a plan to relocate hundreds of street vendors packing the narrow Jl. Pancoran in Kota to nearby traditional markets as part of a project to revive the old downtown area.

"We're still in discussion with city market operator PD Pasar Jaya about the relocation plan," Mayor Fajar A. Panjaitan told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Fajar said his office had been assigned by the Jakarta administration to rearrange the congested area, which has heavy traffic, sanitation problems and the undisciplined street vendors.

Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Soenirman added that the company was setting up space to accommodate the vendors.

"But, first, we have to clarify the misperception among vendors that they could simply get the space or kiosks for free," Prabowo told the Post.

He explained that the vendors would be given a grace period of six months "after which they have to pay rental fees".

Both Fajar and Prabowo did not specify the number of vendors to be relocated or when the plan would be carried out.

The West Jakarta municipal administration has put the revival of the old town area on its priority list this year. The project covers the conversion of Jl. Roa Malaka Utara into a night dining center plus Jl. Kali Besar Timur and Jl. Kali Besar Barat which are lined with shops and cafes.

The municipal government has said that it was planning to prohibit on-street parking, which is blamed for the chronic traffic congestion in the oldest commercial and business area in the city.

Back in the 19th century during the Dutch administration, Kota played an important role as the center of business, residences and cultural activities. The area is currently notorious for its poorly maintained antiquated buildings, traffic jams, recurrent flooding, on-street parking problems, street vendors clogging the roads and the heavily polluted river.

Ella Ubaidi of the Batavia Advancement Committee said that the relocation of street vendors was among key efforts to restore the tarnished image of the area.

"The presence of street vendors is often associated with congestion, a dirty environment and poor security, especially in the evenings. If these vendors were well-managed, I am sure that the area would be attractive to visitors," said the owner of a heritage building which she converted into a boutique in the area.

Ella, along with a group of heritage enthusiasts, who call themselves Jakarta Old Town-Kotaku (JOK), have teamed up to revitalize the historical area by cleaning up mounds of garbage in Kali Besar River.