Peddlers versus pedestrians? Jakarta governor’s plan to legalise street vendors divides the city
JAKARTA: Standing on the pedestrian bridge at the Semanggi interchange in the heart of Jakarta, doze..
JAKARTA: Standing on the pedestrian bridge at the Semanggi interchange in the heart of Jakarta, dozens of officers from the Jakarta Public Order Agency kept a watchful eye on the busy streets below.
They were on the lookout for vendors who usually occupy the pavements in the afternoon, selling drinks and snacks to office workers and students on their way home.
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But someone had clearly tipped off the hawkers, for there were no stalls to be seen that day. Normally, dozens of them would have lined up their carts and obstructed the walkways.
By law, it is illegal for street vendors across Indonesia to operate on pavements.
In Jakarta, a bustling metropolis with 1,600 public order officers serving a population of 9.6 million, random raids and patrols are conducted.
For survival, the errant traders rely on a reliable network of parking attendants and buskers who alert them of the presence of the uniformed team on those rare days when the city decide to enforce the law.
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But there may be some good news for them soon – Jakarta governor Anies Baswedan wants to legalise street vendors in the capital.
While the Law on Road and Traffic bars anyone from disrupting the flow of pedestrians on pavements and pedestrian bridges, Mr Baswedan said there are other laws and regulations, like the Law on Small and Medium Enterprises, which permit vendors to operate on pavements.
A pavement overrun by vendors in Central Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
“Pavements can serve more than one function, for pedestrians and other uses, and that is allowed under the Public Works Ministerial regulation,” the governor told reporters on Sunday (Sep 8) in defence of his proposal.
“We must not assume that pavements must be free from street vendors, that pavements are only for pedestrians.”
READ: Jakarta's pedestrians jostle for space, navigate unsafe pavements
Mr Baswedan drew attention to the fact that major cities across the world allow street vendors to operate on pavements, with strict regulations in place.
“We are formulating a regulation (to allow street vendors to operate legally) now,” he said.
His proposal has sparked debates in Jakarta. Some welcomed the move, while others said it would be a nightmare for pedestrians to jostle for space with vendors, when there is a lack of infrastructure for pedestrians to begin with.
OPPOSING VIEWS
The proponents of the governors proposal argued that hawkers provide affordable food choices to the city dwellers. Allowing street vendors to legally operate can therefore boost the economy, they said.
A Twitter user pointed out that street vendors and pedestrians can co-exist in other countries and called for tighter regulations instead of an outright ban.
On the other hand, critics argued that permitting street vendors to occupy the pavements would put pedestrians' safety and convenience at risk.
“The government gets tax money from its people to build roads and pavements. The government has the responsibility to maintain pavements according to its function,” Twitter user Mochamad Arip wrote.
Kenapa PKL dilarang dagang di trotoar?
Trotoar itu milik semua warga. Bukan milik orang/orang. Pemda dpt pajak dari warga utk bangun jalan termasuk trotoar. Pemda harus amanah menjaga trotoar agar digunakan sesuai fungsinya.
Bukan begitu @DKIJakarta?
https://t.co/ySeDasbK98— Remington Steele #TT (@mochamadarip) September 10, 2019
Data from the Ministry of Public Works showed that Jakarta only has 500km of pavements, compared to 7,000km of roads. Jakartans have long complained of how the pavements are mostly shoddily built and poorly maintained.
“Imagine if you allow street vendors to legally operate on pavements. Even when it is still illegal, vendors would occupy the entire width of the pavements. Legalising this would open a floodgate of vendors encroaching spaces meant for pedestrians,” Mr Alfred Sitorus of the Indonesian Pedestrian Coalition told CNA.
Street vendors encroaching into an exit meant for vehicles in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
But the Jakarta governor said there will be specific pavements where vendors can operate, adding that narrow pavements will be vendor-free.
“We will establish the ground rules. Not all pavements will have to be shared by both pedestrians and economic activities. We will set places (where vendors would be allowed),” Mr Baswedan said.
READ: Bleak future for Jakarta cyclists as cars dominate the city's roads
He said the government will also limit the amount of space the vendors can occupy.
“Pavements will be divided. There will still be sections which are dedicated exclusively for pedestrians. We are formulating the regulation now."
LICENSED BUSINESSES FACE COMPETITION FROM ILLEGAL STREET VENDORS
In Jakartas commercial district Tanah Abang, vendors selling cheap clothes and knock-off shoes have almost completely overrun the narrow pavements, leaving pedestrians with only a tiny space to navigate.
Occasionally, the foot traffic comes to a standstill when passersby stop to check out the items on offer.
Pedestrians jostling for space with street vendors occupying the pavements in Tanah Abang commercial district, Central Jakarta. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
Mr Aspiracy Muda, who sells Muslim wear in a shopping mall, said the street vendors made it hard for people to access the malls.
“They dont have to pay rent like us, so they can sell their goods for much cheaper. And they are the first sellers the customers see. Thats why sellers in malls or stores like us dont support the governors proposal,” he told CNA.
Mr Muda remembered a time when the situation was so bad that the street vendors spilled onto roads, causing massive gridlocks.
Under former governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the street vendors were evicted and relocated to a market. But after Mr Baswedan became governor in 2017, one by one the street vendors reappeared, Mr Muda said.
Shop owner Mr Aspiracy Muda said street vendors made it difficult for customers to reach his store. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
At one end of Tanah Abang, the sidewalks are filled with vendors selling clothes, household goods and mobile phone accessories, while shops remain empty and shuttered.
Mdm Arfini, who goes by one name, said her nearby store is only used for storage while she sells Muslim dresses and headscarves on the pavement.
“Otherwise the street vendors would completely hide my store from view and I would lose customers,” she said.
Mdm Arfini said she would retreat to her store when public order officers come to raid the street vendors. “It is a cat and mouse game,” the 54-year-old said.
A woman doing bookkeeping in an almost deserted part of Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, where stores face stiff competition from nearby street vendors. (Photo: Nivell Rayda)
NO LEGAL BASIS: EXPERTS
When Mr Baswedan ran for office, legalising street vendors was one of his key campaign promises to the voters.
“Street vendors are small entrepreneurs. They are marginalised because they are under the threat of eviction. They must be helped and empowered. We dont want street vendors evicted, but managed and regulated,” he