Padang shop owners strike

Padang shop owners strike

PADANG, West Sumatra: Almost all trade in the West Sumatra
capital of Padang ceased on Thursday during a protest against
last year's closure of the Andalas bus terminal in the center of
the city and its relocation to the city's outskirts.

Shop owners, shopping malls, department stores and street
vendors shut to protest the relocation, which protesters say has
cut trade in the city by between 40 percent and 70 percent.

Padang shop owners said out-of-town buyers had been deterred
from visiting Padang because the terminal's location in Bingkuang
was too remote, lacked public facilities and was known for its
high crime rate. -- Antara