Tanah Abang project canceled to clear traffic

Bambang Nurbianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Motorists will soon spend less time in a traffic snarls along Jl. Kebon Jati and Jl. Fachruddin in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, as the administration has decided to cancel the construction of new kiosks for 3,000 traders who lost theirs in a 2002 fire.

Currently, due to the construction, the developer had closed three of four lanes of the road late last year.

Apart from that, the roads are now still occupied by several street traders and goat traders and are often used as parking the traders and visitors of the market, the largest textile market in Southeast Asia.

Motorists usually take between 30 minutes to one hour to pass through Jl. Kebon Jati in peak hours.

Concrete blocks were still seen on the two roads, but, according to city market operator PD Pasar Jaya president director Prabowo Sunirman, they too would be removed by the end of this month.

"That's good news ... We lose so much time passing this road," said Irfan, 35, a bus driver, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

Initially, Pasar Jaya insisted on building the temporary kiosks for Tanah Abang traders because Blocks B, C, D and E of the market were considered unsafe after the fire.

But the plan received strong opposition from the traders, backed by the city councillors, who suspected foul play in the project which they feared would raise the kiosk rental fees.

Prabowo said on Tuesday that the removal of all barriers on Jl. Kebon Jati and Jl. Fachruddin would bring back buyers to the market.

He said that the company would not demolish the four blocks of the market in the near future because the company had not reached an agreement with the traders.

"We will negotiate again with the traders, but it seems that we will need more time," he added.