TRADERS, HAWKERS IN ASHAIMAN TO RELOCATE (PAGE 30, DEC 14)

THE Ashaiman Municipal Assembly has given ultimatum to hawkers and traders who operate in the central business area of the municipality to move to the old lorry park known as Kufour Station by the close of the week.
Drivers who stop and pick up passengers in the middle of the road were also advised to load from the station.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic on the assembly's decongestive exercise the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Mr Numo Adinortey Addison, said the assembly, with support from the Police and the Military, cleared the Kufour Station of all dilapidated structures and re-arranged the Kufour Station to make way for those who would be going there.
He, however, denounced reports that the assembly was demolishing structures used by the hawkers, noting that they would not inconvenience anybody, and insisted that people should operate within the confines of the assembly’s bye-laws.
The MCE said the assembly, with support from the Police and the Military only re-arranged the haphazard placement of tables at the station to make room for the hawkers.
Mr Addison explained that the assembly had since June this year been having a series of meetings with various associations of hawkers, traders and drivers to prepare their minds on the need to clear the roads to make Ashaiman a law-abiding municipality.
He said all the parties had agreed to move at a certain time, but they were later found still selling in the streets.
Mr Addison said the assembly was determined to maintain peace and order in the central business area of the municipality, but would not want to use force.
He, therefore, appealed to the traders to move away from the streets and pavements to the re-arranged 'Kufuor Station' as discussed earlier.
Mr Addison said some of the street hawkers and the traders had sheds in the market, but had persistently refused to move and operate in the market .
He stated that the drivers had also unlawfully created their own lorry parks at three different areas, causing vehicular congestion which worsened the situation.
Mr Addison gave an assurance that the assembly would ensure that the 24-acre land recently allocated to it by the Tema Development Corporation would be developed to help ease the current congestion situation.
He said the assembly was in the process of joining hands with private entities for early completion of the project, which would include a lorry park and a market complex.
Mr Addison noted that land was necessary for the assembly to build up its capacity to enhance development.
Meanwhile, some traders who were affected by the exercise which was to pave the way for the decongestion felt they were rather being harassed.