Jakarta Street Vendors Allowed to Occupy Tanah Abang Road

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta administration has allowed street vendors to occupy the road in front of Tanah Abang Station.

The road was closed as part of the efforts to revamp Tanah Abang as promised by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno. “We hope that the revamp will accommodate the stakeholders of Tanah Abang,” Anies told a press conference yesterday, Dec. 21, at the City Hall.

Public transport and private cars are banned from Jalan Jatibaru Raya, from the station exit to near Block G of Tanah Abang Market. On the contrary, hundreds of street vendors who had occupied sidewalks are allowed to use a lane. Meanwhile, another lane is designated to special bus Tanah Abang Explorer that travels around the market.

Read: Ahok Explains Tanah Abang Traffic Problem

The road will be closed from 8 am to 6 pm daily. During such hours, public transport and private cars are detoured to Jatibaru overpass near the station exit.

The road closure is being implemented without any trial run. Transportation Office head Andri Yansyah said that the study on the impact of traffic congestion will be carried out later. “We haven’t tried it. We haven’t calculated it. We will roll it out tomorrow,” he said. “As for the gridlock, we will try it first. Evaluation will take place in due course.”

An urban planning expert at Trisakti University Nirwono Yoga sees that Tanah Abang revamp is still done partially. He also criticizes the policy to focus on Jalan Jatibaru. He said that other sections of Tanah Abang are also chaotic.

Without a thorough study, Nirwono said, Tanah Abang revamp by Anies Baswedan might create new problems such as traffic jams. “Comprehensive studies and trial runs should’ve already been done before the implementation,” he said.

DEVY ERNIS