Refusing To Be Evicted: Street Vendors At UKI Lie Down On The Road And Sit On An Excavator, Becoming A Spectacle For Motorbikes And Cars

JAKARTA - The control over the land for street vendors (PKL) who occupy the sidewalks along the UKI area, Kramat Jati, East Jakarta is still hysterical. The traders refused to be evicted and moved to a place they considered deserted.

The traders, who have been selling food and drinks for decades, balked at being moved. They still stick with the current location which is considered a lot of buyers.

The traders rejected the East Jakarta City Government's decision regarding control and relocation to other places.

Sadly, the action of rejection was followed by hysterical screams and was colored with sobs from the traders. They do not want to be relocated to another place.

"How did we eat, where did we come from? This (relocation) was given in the deserted Rebo Market. I don't want to be relocated to Pasar Rebo. We're just looking for it from here," said Neli Manalu, one of the evicted beverage vendors, Tuesday, January 18.

The control of traders is carried out by the East Jakarta City Government to restore the function of the sidewalks from the traders. Moreover, during a pandemic, the presence of traders often invites crowds and traffic jams.

East Jakarta City Government Assistant, Eka Darmawan, said that apart from enforcing local regulations, the activities carried out by his staff were to restore the function of spatial planning.

"We ask that the function be returned as it should be from the traders. We have socialized and invited them. During this pandemic, they often cause crowds, we carry out regional regulations and PPkm operations," he said at the location.

Around 30 traders occupy pedestrians and sidewalks that are disciplined by officers. Later they will be relocated to a locker in the Cililitan and Munjul areas.

"We are socializing the placement of street vendors in the Cililitan locker and Munjul locker room. There is a natural refusal, because this trader is more than 45 years old. We ask to return the function, the pedestrian function is returned," he said.

The refusal to relocate the traders in UKI made the situation on the roads crowded, even jammed. How could it not be, a number of traders took action sleeping on the road and occupying the excavator so that the officers would not evict them.

Meanwhile, motorcyclists and car drivers could only see the actions of the traders lying on the road. They hope his journey can continue.