STMA to create open market days to decongest Market Circle in Takoradi

Sekondi April 24, GNA - The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly would soon create weekly 'open market days' in Takoradi to help traders in the various communities around the business district of Takoradi to sell their products.

The move would not only enable the traders to sell their wares but would also serve as a decongestion measure in and around the market circle in Takoradi to ensure free flow of human and vehicular traffic.

Mr Anthony Sam the Metropolitan Chief Executive said this during a media interactive session organized by the Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) to announce the vision and programmes of the Regional Minister Dr Kwaku Afriyie.

The MCE said the re-roofing of the Apremdo Market has been awarded on contract and when completed some of the traders in Kwesimintim and other communities which hitherto traded at the Market Circle would be moved there to further decongest the Market Circle.

He said other smaller markets around OsofoKrom, Effiakuma and Kojokrom would be given a facelift so as to absorb the traders in those areas, and asked that when the open market days became operational, all traders should endeavour to patronize it to derive maximum benefit.

Mr Sam said the current situation at the Market Circle was a source of worry to both the assembly and the market women, since people did not patronize their stores and stalls, but preferred to buy items on the pavements and pedestrian walkways, this he noted created losses for those with shops inside the Market Circle.

The STMA last month evicted all illegal traders operating around the Takoradi Market Circle of the Western Region.

Several wooden structures and all unauthorised objects around the market were demolished and some taken away by the Assembly's City Guards.

The Market Circle is usually heavily congested as a result of an invasion by hawkers and other traders who were found at every corner of the central business district.

The traders normally took over the pavements, pedestrian walkways and parking spaces making the Market Circle dirty and congested.

The Metropolitan Chief Executive hinted that with support from the Takoradi Ports the New Takoradi road was being worked on and called on the people of the area to exercise restraint since the road would soon be fixed.

GNA

By Justina Paaga, GNA