Traders protest over kiosk demolition plan

TANGERANG (JP): Traders from Cikokol market here have strongly protested the mayoralty's plan to demolish their kiosks to make way for the construction of an underpass.

Carrying banners, posters and red and white flags, a 200- strong delegation went to the mayoralty office on Thursday to voice their complaints.

They demanded that the mayoralty provide them with replacement stalls in a different location before construction work on the project begins.

Twenty representatives of the delegation were received by Rosady Natawisastra, the mayoralty's secretary, Komarudin, who heads the Tangerang public works office, and Rudy R. Djauri, the head of Cikokol market.

The traders said they were not opposed to the project in principle as long as the mayoralty helped them to continue with their business activities.

"Don't just evict us without giving us a place to relocate to," H. Zein, a trader, said.

"We will be happy if we can just continue to run our businesses, but if we are to be evicted and forced to buy new stalls, then we are strongly opposed to the project," he said.

"The stalls, which are sold by the market management office through market cooperatives for Rp 650,000 each, are too expensive. How can we afford in this time of crisis?" he asked.

Responding to the traders' complaint, Rosady said he would discuss their proposal with related institutions and members of the Tangerang legislative council because the mayoralty office did not have the funds to meet the traders' demand.

"Whatever the problem, we have to seek a solution," he added.

The underpass project, funded by the mayoralty at a cost of Rp 20 billion, is badly needed to help solve chronic traffic congestion in the Cikokol area. (41/ivy)