Street vendors resist relocation

JAKARTA: Sidewalk vendors at the entrance to Pasar Minggu bus terminal, South Jakarta, resisted being relocated to a hall inside the Pasar Minggu traditional market, which they considered to be a poor location for business.

"No buyers will come there ... they'll prefer to go to Pasar Jaya market or Robinson department store," Marsih, a vegetable vendor, was quoted as saying by Antara news agency on Wednesday.

Another vendor, Pariyah, said the new location was too close to a public cemetery.

The hall was established in 2002 to relocate sidewalk vendors who were blamed for heavy traffic congestion in the area. The hall can accommodate 800 vendors, insufficient for the existing 2,000 vendors in the area. -- JP