Several street vendors are still operating on Jl. Jatibaru Raya sidewalks despite the construction of Tanah Abang Skybridge having finished and some vendors having relocated to the bridge.

Kompas.com reported on Wednesday that some vendors were seen setting up their wares on the western sidewalk of the street while city officers were not looking.

However, the eastern side of the street is clear of street vendors and pedestrians have been able to use the sidewalk without obstruction.

Several Public Order Agency (Satpol PP) officers were seen patrolling the sidewalks near the sky bridge, on Jl. Jatibaru Bengkel and in front of Tanah Abang railway station.

Tanah Abang district head Dedi Arif Darsono said his office kept working with the Public Order Agency, the Police and the military to discipline street vendors.

He revealed that around 120 officers were deployed to seek out illegal street vendors on Tuesday.

“We will continue to have officers ready in the field so the street vendors will not return. It [the raid] must be done routinely so they [street vendors] will not return. But they’re still street vendors, some are stubborn [and return to the streets],” Dedi said on Wednesday.

He said the street vendors’ clothes, seats, tarpaulin roofs and their wares caught in the raid would be taken to the Public Order Agency warehouse in Cakung, East Jakarta. (ami)