What is important now is you must not open shops on sidewalks again."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Jakarta`s Governor Joko Widodo officially opened his milestone street vendors relocation project in Block G at Tanah Abang market in Central Jakarta on Monday after a month of efforts and arguments.

"After I kept monitoring it for about a month in the morning, afternoon, evening and even at midnight, we all can now see that no water pools, blocked sewage and roads are found," he said in his address at the event.

In view of that, the governor urged the community, traders as well as visitors to preserve the condition.

"I have already met your requirements - clean location, gateway, repaired rolling doors and free kiosks for six months. What is important now is you must not open shops on sidewalks again," he said.

Tanah Abang area, where the country`s biggest textile market is located, has so far been surrounded by street vendors blocking access roads to the location.

Efforts to put them in order have always failed due to various interests involved in it.

Under Joko Widodo or popularly called Jokowi in short, Block G which has so far been abandoned, has now been renovated to accommodate street vendors blocking streets in the area, a move welcomed by many parties as streets in the area have now been more easily passable.

To get people to visit Block G, the governor has called for the market operator to organize music or art performance shows every weekend in the area.

The chief of the city administration`s market operator PR Pasar Jaya, Djangga Lubis, said a total of 968 kiosks in Block G has been filled.

He said those who were not accommodated would be moved to other market places operated by the company.

Jokowi with his popular activities of reaching out to people in the grass root and remarkable efforts in improving conditions in the city such as by revitalizing dams has been touted as the country`s next presidential candidate for the next year`s election.

However, when asked about it, the former mayor of Solo in Central Java, always declined to answer saying that he is focusing on relocating street vendors, revitalising Pluit and Ria-Rio dams and other city problems.
(T.R027/Uu.H-YH/INE/KR-BSR/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2013