The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly has renewed efforts to decongest the central business District as unauthorized trading on pavements creates huge vehicular and human congestion.

City guards were seen today driving hawkers off pavements.

The action comes in the wake of threats by traders in other satellite markets to return to the city centre after their colleagues who were moved from the old central market continued to occupy the streets.

The Central Business District of Adum, Kejetia, 'Dr. Mensah' and its environs remain choked as traders defy orders to leave unauthorized trading spaces.

As the second phase of the Kejetia Market reconstruction takes shape, city authorities relocated traders and hawkers to nearby Race Course and Afua Kobi markets to make way for the project.

However, the relocation exercise was met with resistance from a cross-section of the traders who consistently defied orders to evacuate. 

City guards, on Monday January 31, 2022, started a move to clear the streets of hawkers.

Meanwhile, some traders who moved to the racecourse market are threatening to return to the pavements if authorities fail to move their colleagues to the new market.

They argue that patronage at the market is low. 

Yaa Ampomah is a yam seller at the racecourse market.

She revealed, “we’ve planned to offload our yam trucks at the old market if authorities fail to relocate the others here by the end of month”.

Another seller, Akosua Dei, bemoaned, “our old customers do not want to come here. But, if authorities should demolish the outstanding blocks, they will all move here”.

The traders complain of the prevailing bad business environment at the race course which they say is discouraging other traders from relocating there.

They proffered some solutions. 

“We’re pleading with the authorities to finish up with the constructions here so the others could soon join us,” a trader suggested.

Another trader suggested that “the authorities should water the road leading to the market for the time being. They should also relocate some of the commercial drivers here.”