Public order agency aims to make Senen like Jl. Thamrin

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Public order officers plan to remove street vendors from the crowded, busy area of Senen in Central Jakarta as well as the main road passing through the area from Matraman to Gunung Sahari.

Head of the City Public Order Agency, Soebagio, said on Tuesday that the administration intended to emulate the clean and well-ordered Jl. Sudirman and Jl. MH Thamrin which, he said, "are the city's frontage".

"We won't tolerate any vendors operating along the main streets in the area. Instead, they can take up space along the alleys," he said.

He admitted that in some cases, the officers could not prohibit street vendors from running their businesses because they were needed by the community as in the case of street vendors around movie theater Djakarta on Jl. MH Thamrin.

"They provide cheap meals for low-paid employees. That's why we let them be," he asserted.

The operation is in line with the Central Jakarta municipality's plan to rearrange the chaotic Senen area.

"Senen is one of the main priority areas for development this year besides Tanah Abang," said Central Jakarta mayor Muhayat.

The development, Muhayat admitted, would include the planned relocation of street vendors.

"Of course, I will still give those vendors the opportunity to run their business in the city. They could, for instance, operate in certain places only in the evenings or during certain hours. But, we must ensure that they are under our control and abide by the existing regulations," he said.

Muhayat vowed to impose sterner sanctions on subdistrict and district heads who failed to keep their areas in order. The sanctions include dismissal, he added.

In addition to the area of Senen, the City Public Order Agency would also prioritize clearing the streets of vendors along the new busway corridors from Pulogadung in East Jakarta to Harmoni in Central Jakarta and from Harmoni to Kalideres in West Jakarta.

Proposed budget for City Public Order Agency in 2005

Raids on street vendors Rp 500 million

Raids on thugs, sex workers, beggars Rp 600 million

Monitoring and upholding order along busway corridors Rp 900 million

Drafting standard operating procedure for joint raids Rp 263.478 million with the police and military

Monitoring rallies, riots, brawls, fires Rp 250 million

Monitoring and taking action against gambling Rp 360 million

Monitoring and operations against illegal production Rp 390 million and distribution of alcoholic drinks

Monitoring and operations against pornographic material Rp 330 million

Source: 2005 Draft City Budget