Stubborn Hawkers Frustrate AMA Evacuation

Scores of recalcitrant hawkers and traders along some ceremonial streets and the Central Business District of Accra are frustrating Accra Metropolitan Assembly's (AMA) exercise of evacuating hawkers from the pavements.

Six months after the AMA and the police joint task force launched an operation to get traders and hawkers off the streets, a Ghana News Agency monitoring survey conducted on Thursday revealed an entanglement between the task force and scores of traders.

GNA monitoring team observed that some of the hawkers and traders who have encroached on pavements, footbridges, other open sources and all ceremonial routes remain adamant and still try to evade the task force to sell on the pavement and streets.

Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has said the decongestion is a city-wide exercise that will be sustained, 'We are encouraging all the hawkers and the petty traders to move back inside the markets. We have fashion out a strategy to be able to sustain it'.

The monitoring team of GNA observed that some of the headstrong pavement traders and street hawkers have displayed cosmetics, male and female footwear, beads, cloths, mobile phones, male and female clothing, as well as vegetables like tomatoes, pepper, okra, and garden eggs, among others on the pavement.

The street in front the Registrar General's Department towards Tema Station; around GNA head office towards the Ministries Police Station; from Diamond House towards Tudu; and the Central Business District were all dotted with scores of traders and hawkers.

Scores of pedestrians told the GNA that the exercises should be intensified as to allow free movement of persons and vehicles 'when the traders takeover the pavements, pedestrians are forced onto the street slowing down traffic.

Madam Mary Geyevu, commended the AMA for the exercises saying 'I feel comfortable walking on the pavements'.

She said the AMA Exercise has reduced the number of hawkers on the pavements, with only a few recalcitrant hawkers still on the pavements, leaving ample space for pedestrians to walk freely.

Other pedestrians on the other hand, sympathized with the hawkers; Mr Abdul Fatau, stated that, 'the evacuation bothers me because the hawkers also have families to take care of.

The AMA should find a better place for them if they want to move them from the pavements'.

Madam Lois Ofosuwaa, stated that the hawkers should be evacuated, 'if only the AMA has alternative place to relocate them'.

GNA