Street vendors' center proposed

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