KEJETIA ROADS FINALLY OPENED TO TRAFFIC
Roads
leading to and from the newly constructed Kejetia Market complex in Kumasi have
been opened to human and vehicular traffic.
This comes two weeks after the Ashanti Regional Security Council, REGSEC, gave all traders and hawkers at unauthorized places around the facility a final notice to relocate.
There was systematic closure of the roads that lead to and from the Kejetia Market Complex upon the start of construction in November 2015.
Since 2017, all access around the project site were blocked to particularly vehicular traffic leaving small spaces and openings for human movement. The closure was to protect pedestrians and motorists against injuries while giving the contractors peace from public nuisance and interruptions.
Due to this, traders and hawkers around the project area took advantage to ply their business at any available spaces, whether within the law or otherwise but without much disturbances from the city authorities.
In December last year, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, KMA, decided to open the roads to ease the vehicular and human congestion in the city centre but this was thwarted as there was an invasion of mostly hawkers to the project site wanting to allocate spaces to themselves to continue their businesses.
The suspension of the exercise by the KMA therefore gave the Assembly enough time to carry out public education involving engagement with the traders, hawkers, transport operators, Assembly Members among others about the reasons for the limited opening of the access roads.
The Ashanti Regional Security Council, REGSEC, thereafter took over the matter as a security situation and subsequently gave the traders and hawkers a two-week final ultimatum to relocate or be forced out.
At about 4 am today, 10 gangs of workers of the construction firm, Contracta Engineering Company, under the supervision of a combined security force from the Police, Military, Prisons and Immigration, began to remove the aluminum sheets around the facility to create access for human and vehicular movement through the Market complex.
By early morning, enough access had been created. The place was suddenly crowded by commuters, hawkers and traders alike with different motives with some there to catch a glimpse of the new project for the first time while others went to explore the possibility of acquiring spaces to continue with their petty businesses.
When interviewed, the hawkers confirmed that they have had enough notification from the city authorities about the decongestion exercise but pleaded for support to relocate.
This comes two weeks after the Ashanti Regional Security Council, REGSEC, gave all traders and hawkers at unauthorized places around the facility a final notice to relocate.
There was systematic closure of the roads that lead to and from the Kejetia Market Complex upon the start of construction in November 2015.
Since 2017, all access around the project site were blocked to particularly vehicular traffic leaving small spaces and openings for human movement. The closure was to protect pedestrians and motorists against injuries while giving the contractors peace from public nuisance and interruptions.
Due to this, traders and hawkers around the project area took advantage to ply their business at any available spaces, whether within the law or otherwise but without much disturbances from the city authorities.
In December last year, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, KMA, decided to open the roads to ease the vehicular and human congestion in the city centre but this was thwarted as there was an invasion of mostly hawkers to the project site wanting to allocate spaces to themselves to continue their businesses.
The suspension of the exercise by the KMA therefore gave the Assembly enough time to carry out public education involving engagement with the traders, hawkers, transport operators, Assembly Members among others about the reasons for the limited opening of the access roads.
The Ashanti Regional Security Council, REGSEC, thereafter took over the matter as a security situation and subsequently gave the traders and hawkers a two-week final ultimatum to relocate or be forced out.
At about 4 am today, 10 gangs of workers of the construction firm, Contracta Engineering Company, under the supervision of a combined security force from the Police, Military, Prisons and Immigration, began to remove the aluminum sheets around the facility to create access for human and vehicular movement through the Market complex.
By early morning, enough access had been created. The place was suddenly crowded by commuters, hawkers and traders alike with different motives with some there to catch a glimpse of the new project for the first time while others went to explore the possibility of acquiring spaces to continue with their petty businesses.
When interviewed, the hawkers confirmed that they have had enough notification from the city authorities about the decongestion exercise but pleaded for support to relocate.
As at 12 noon, work was still ongoing to complete the removal of the barricade before clearance would be given for use of the facility as a thoroughfare by motorists.
The Public Relations Officer of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Mr. Godwin Okumah Nyame, asked the hawkers and petty traders to relocate to any of the available 34 satellite markets within the Greater Kumasi enclave.
He insisted that no one would be allowed to do business on the pavements and shoulders of the roads within the immediate vicinity of the new facility.
A Consultant to Contracta Engineering Company, which executed the project, Mr. Emmanuel Danso, said the construction company is rounding up to officially hand over the facility to the KMA and that the Assembly and the Police will control traffic to ensure compliance with the regulations.
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