Traders protest over kiosk demolition plan

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)