Residents support Taman Puring closure

Residents support Taman Puring closure

JAKARTA (JP): Businesspeople, workers and residents near Taman
Puring in South Jakarta expressed support for last week's closure
of the park's flea market in a bid to ease traffic in the area.

However, they also criticized the city administration for
being overly harsh in its action. They also expressed concern for
the fate of the vendors at the park.

Djaelani, a security guard chief at Wisma Gandaria III office
building located across from the park, said it was better that
the site was used solely as a park.

"But the administration should be serious in handling the
relocation of traders by providing a new place which is adequate
for business. It is the administration's responsibility because
it did nothing when the vendors started trading in the area," he
said.

He said the vendors' presence had become a problem to others
because sometimes they got drunk and fought each other.

"Though the incidents had no direct impact on us, people were
afraid," he said.

His colleague Sudirman said the South Jakarta mayoralty did
not act firmly and should have acted as soon as the number of
vendors continued to increase.

"That's why it has been difficult to take action against them
after their number became so large," he said.

Vendors started to flock to Taman Puring when then South
Jakarta mayor Pardjoko announced he would allow traders to
operate on the site, known as Pasar Sabtu Minggu or Pasar Tunggu
in reference to the flea market's operational days of Saturday
and Monday, to help them cope with the economic crisis.

But their number continuously increased until the whole park
was occupied with stalls, especially when the Idul Fitri holiday
approached.

Public bus driver Udin said he hoped traffic in the area would
become smoother after the park was free of vendors.

"I pass the area many times every day and there is always
heavy traffic because too many people park their vehicles
irregularly and public transportation drops off and picks up
passengers all over the place," said Udin, who plies the Tanah
Abang-Ciputat bus route.

However, he opposed the way the administration demolished the
kiosks.

"The administration's officials have showed brutality by
demolishing the kiosks. They could have acted more humanely by
just closing the area and letting the owners take away their
belongings," he said.

Owner of a computer service shop Andrianto, who supported the
closure, said the flea market had become a place for people to
trade stolen goods.

"Shop owners often found their lost merchandise at the
market," he said.

However, housewife Suratin and student Gordon regretted the
flea market closure, saying they enjoyed shopping there.

Suratin said she liked how she could find good quality shoes
at reasonable prices.

"I have three children for whom I have to buy new shoes for
every Idul Fitri holiday or for school," said the woman who lives
in the nearby Cipulir area.

A similar sentiment was voiced by Gordon, who said the flea
market had become a place where he could sell his belongings
every time he needed money and where he could also buy cheap
goods.

"I even sold my wristwatch here when I badly need money to pay
my school fees," said the student of Gunadarma University in
South Jakarta.

Separately, City Council speaker Edy Waluyo said the council
supported the city administration's closure of the market and
urged it to continue its public order operations.

"The City Council supports operations to uphold public order
conducted by the city administration, as we must recognize the
supremacy of the law," he said during a meeting with South
Jakarta authorities to discuss last Saturday's closure of the
flea market in Taman Puring.

Edy said the mayoralty was only doing its duty by closing the
flea market, as the policy had been decided by the city
administration.

"We will also ask the city administration to give detailed
information on its public order policy," he added. (ind/05)