TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - DKI Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo said that the regulation of traffic order and eviction of street vendors in Tanah Abang need to be continued. He asserted that the eviction is necessary, despite being opposed by citizens and market thugs.
Jokowi stated that vendors are not allowed to crowd the roads in Tanah Abang quarter. "Roads are for traffics, they are not places to sell stuffs," he said when contacted in DKI Jakarta City Hall on Tuesday. He claimed that he does not prohibit the vendors to sell. "Vendors are permitted to sell, but they have to know the right place," said Jokowi.
After the eviction, the street vendors will be relocated inside the market. The reason is because vendors inside the market often complain to Jokowi about the existence of street vendors outside. "Consumers rarely go inside the market because there are too many street vendors outside. I have been there more than a couple of times, so I know the situation," said the Governor. He is known to often visit traditional markets while socializing the market revitalization plan.
To support the plan, the local government has planned to build a new location to accommodate street vendors. The revitalization of 23 markets and targeted locations, he said, will start from mid 2013.
On Monday, the government had begun to evict the vendors in Pasar Minggu and Tanah Abang. The eviction in Pasar Minggu succeeded without any problem. However, the same effort in Tanah Abang did not go on effectively. Government officials in Tanah Abang reported that they received resistance from the citizens and market thugs so the eviction had to be cancelled.
ANGGRITA DESYANI