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Skywalk project under way, Tanah Abang street vendors moving away
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The design of the Tanah Abang skywalk. (Via kompas.com/ PD Pembangunan Sarana Jaya )
S
treet vendors on Jl. Jatibaru Raya in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, have moved to Blok A and Blok F of Tanah Abang Market because of the construction of a skywalk.
Clothes street vendor Sutarmi, 38, said she decided to move because she was concerned about her safety if she stayed near the skywalk construction site.
“It's better if I move somewhere else for a while. I'm afraid to stay on the road," she said, tempo.co reported.
Sutarmi said she only found out about the construction of the skywalk, which will connect Tanah Abang Station and all the local market’s blocks, on Saturday. The construction began on Friday.
Half of Jl. Jatibaru Raya has been closed to motorists since December last year to provide space for street vendors.
Another street vendor, Novri Hardi, 42, followed suit. Novri, a male Muslim shirt seller, moved to Blok A on Sunday.
"If the project is finished, we'll return [to Jl. Jatibaru Raya]," he said.
Novri criticized the Jakarta administration for not providing temporary stalls for street vendors to relocation to while the skywalk was being constructed, forcing them to look for places on their own.
“If we stay, we're scared [of potential accidents during the project]. But if we move, that means we have to pay rent [for temporary space]," he said. (stu)
