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Vendors protest relocation as Jakarta kicks off project to ease Tanah Abang traffic
As one of the capital’s major transit stations, Tanah Abang Station serves an average of 1.5 million passengers a month.
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An air-conditioned Jak-Linggo "angkot" (public minivan) stops to pick up a passenger in Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta on July 12, 2019. (JP/Seto Wardhana)
T
he Jakarta administration’s plan to resolve persistent traffic congestion near Tanah Abang railway station in Central Jakarta faces objections from vendors who have protested a plan to relocate them to ease the flow of traffic.
As one of the capital’s major transit stations, Tanah Abang Station serves an average of 1.5 million passengers a month. Just across the station, Tanah Abang Market, the busiest textile market in Southeast Asia, coupled with dozens of street vendors and road users surrounding the area have resulted in daily traffic congestion.
Jl. Jatibaru is never empty of angkot (public minivans), bajaj (three-wheeled taxi), Transjakarta buses and app-based ojek (motorcycle taxi) scrambling to pick up passengers.
Despite various efforts in place, traffic congestion remains severe in the area. These efforts include building a sky bridge to accommodate street vendors and restricting street vendors from selling on the street — a policy widely ignored as sidewalks remain packed with sellers.
The Jakarta administration recently kicked off construction of a lay-by to ease traffic in Tanah Abang. The facility will take up land owned by state-owned railway company PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and that spans Jl. Jatibaru Raya, Jl. Jatibaru Bengkel and Jl. Taman Jatibaru, according to Jakarta Transportation Agency head Syafrin Liputo.
Two backhoes and trucks were seen leveling soil in the area on Sunday.
The project is a follow-up measure to last month’s establishment of PT Moda Integrasi Transportasi Jabodetabek (MITJ), a joint venture between city-owned PT MRT Jakarta and KAI aimed at managing transportation in Greater Jakarta. The company will integrate Transjakarta, Jakarta MRT, Jakarta LRT, Greater Jakarta LRT and Commuter Line services.
