Street vendors' center proposed

MALANG, East Java: Unlike other regional administrations that are very strict with roadside vendors, the Malang administration plans to construct a Rp 4 billion building to accommodate some 3,000 roadside vendors.

Head of the roadside vendors' guidance office at the Malang Mayoralty M. Arifin said that funding would come from the mayoralty's 2002 budget.

"Priority will be given to roadside vendors operating within the first ring, including the city square, the second ring, Jl. Agus Salim, and ring three, Jl. Pasar Besar," Arifin said. "The others will be moved later, gradually."

He said the plan to construct the building had yet to be finalized and still needed further study.

"We don't want the plan to be disrupted on the way," he said, referring to previous plans to relocate street vendors on Jl. Trunojoyo and Jl. Sutan Syahrir.

"Once the permanent building (in the Comboran area) is built, nobody will be allowed to trade at the roadside," he said.

Despite the administration's goodwill, the roadside vendors said they didn't want to be relocated to a permanent building. They said renovating their trading sites and letting them operate at specific hours would be better than relocating them.

The public has frequently complained about traffic congestion caused by roadside vendors. --Antara