Streets markets during Christmas
Accra (Greater Accra) 08 December 2001 - The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will organise street marketing from December 13 as part of efforts to enforce bye-laws and afford shoppers and sellers the convenience to shop during the Yuletide.
As a result, some commercial streets - Kimberly Avenue and Station Street, off the Kojo Thompson and Kwame Nkrumah avenues would be closed to vehicular traffic from 0900 to 1900 hours each day, Mr Solomon Ofei Darko, Chief Executive of the AMA, said at a news conference in Accra on Thursday.
He said the measure was in accordance with hawkers permit bye-laws of 1995. "This is to afford shoppers, traders and the general citizenry the comfort of going about their activities in peace and without fear," he said.
To ensure the success of the programme, security agencies and the AMA security department would collaborate to check pick-pockets, harassment and other social nuisance that characterised such activities in the designated areas and major shopping centres, Mr Darko said.
He said the exercise also formed part of efforts to decongest the city centre. The AMA, he said, had held a series of meetings with the executives of petty traders associations on how best to assist them trade without hindrance to free flow of traffic and pedestrians, particularly on the Kojo Thompson Road and Kwame Nkrumah Avenue and between the Makola Market and Railway Station. The exercise therefore was one of the measures agreed upon to decongest the city centre.
He, however, warned hawkers and traders that under no circumstance would the Assembly tolerate any hawking and trading activity on the Kwame Nkrumah, Kojo Thompson and Derby Avenues with the coming into force of the new arrangement.
He also warned shop owners and shop keepers that they would not be allowed to park their vehicles anywhere within the designated street markets during the periods mentioned. "This is to allow free pedestrian movement to and from the central business centre."
Mr Darko said the exercise would continue after the Christmas festivities with the relocation of the Northern and Kumasi lorry parks from Circle to Achimota and further relocation of the Tudu Aflao station to the land at the Tetteh Quarshie roundabout.
The AMA would in the meantime continue with traffic decongestion by clamping vehicles at no parking areas.
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