Sidewalk vendors sent packing

Sidewalk vendors sent packing

JAKARTA: The South Jakarta municipality administration evicted
on Thursday dozens of sidewalk vendors along several streets in
Pasar Minggu, Ragunan and Rajawali subdistricts.

The evictions started at 9 a.m. and three hours later all the
streets had been cleansed of the vendors and their kiosks. They
were relocated to a 6,000-square-meter plot of land located in
front of the Pasar Minggu bus terminal.

Pasar Minggu subdistrict chief, Djohari, said that the
municipality administration had been asking the vendors to move
voluntarily to the allocated land since late November, but most
did not comply with the request.

One of the vendors said they had not previously moved to the
new site because it was already saturated with other vendors.

Djohari denied that categorically, saying that it was just one
of the vendors' excuses. He said the land in front of the
terminal was empty.

"Starting today, and over the next seven days, we will monitor
the street vendors and evict them until they all go to the new
place," he said. -- JP