Supreme Court Revokes Leeway Rule for Jakarta Street Vendors

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Supreme Court (MA) granted the civil action lawsuit filed against Jakarta’s Regional Administration Decree No.8/2007 overseeing public order, which allowed public streets to be used by street vendors and hawkers.

The lawsuit was filed by elected-Jakarta Council (DPRD) council members from the Indonesian Solidarity Party (PSI), William Aditya Sarana and Zico Leonard Djagardo.

“I received the verdict around two days ago,” said William to Tempo on Wednesday, August 14. However, he says MA Judges have actually delivered its verdict on December 18, 2018.

Supreme Court Judges found the aforementioned Decree to be contradictive against Article 127 (1) of Law No.22/2009 that oversees traffic and road transport. The latter Law only gives leeway for public streets to be used as areas to accommodate people participating in religious, state, exercise, and cultural activities and does not include street vendors.

“Having the Decree revoked effectively stops the Governor from ever closing a public street again for the sake of street vendors,” William asserts.

Closure for the Tanah Abang Debacle

The civil lawsuit is a direct blow to Governor Anies Baswedan – together with his deputy governor at the time Sandiaga Uno - who decided to close down a section of Jatibaru Street in the Tanah Abang area for street vendors to conduct trade.

After pressure from Police, Ombudsman Jakarta, and public transport drivers, Anies Baswedan finally reopened the public street after a massive bridge was built over the street to accommodate the street vendors.

“I hope the Jakarta governor will no longer be able to hide behind this decree. The MA ruling is a hard blow for the governor to bring order on street vendors who had been selling things over sidewalks and public streets,” said William.

M YUSUF MANURUNG