Hawkers, drivers to give way for completion of Kejetia project
Hawkers and drivers’ unions plying their trade in the central business district in Kumasi, including the Kejetia Redevelopment Project site, have agreed to move to the Race Course area next Monday to pave way for the completion of the project.
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The project is six months behind schedule. It was scheduled for completion in January 2018 but had to be moved to July 2018.
Decision
The decision by the traders and drivers to relocate followed a meeting in Kumasi on Monday. It was attended by officials of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), representatives of the Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, leaders of 28 transport unions and representatives of 20 traders/hawkers associations.
Outcome
At the meeting, the traders and drivers pledged to move to the Race Course and other designated places to pave way for the completion of the project to bring sanity to the congested Kumasi central business district.
It emerged at the meeting that the contractors had written six letters to the KMA complaining about how the activities of traders and drivers were impeding the completion of the project.
Before the commencement of the Kejetia Redevelopment Project in 2015, the transport operators and traders were moved to the Race Course by the KMA during the tenure of Mr Kojo Bonsu. They, however, returned to the site to continue with their business activities, thus, disrupting work on the project.
The traders complained that the Race Course area was not developed for their activities. They also alleged that some women were bitten by snakes in the area while others complained of lack of security.
Preparations
Addressing the meeting, the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Osei Assibey-Antwi, explained that what made the current movement of the drivers and traders to the Race Course different was that the assembly was preparing the area to befit a market and transport terminal.
He said due to the high numbers of traders coupled with haphazard parking of vehicles, the central business district had become choked and, in most cases, the assembly had to use city guards and police personnel to ensure sanity in the area.
Mr Assibey-Antwi further stated that contractors were working feverishly to put the Race Course in good shape to make it habitable through the construction of roads and drainage as well as the provision of other amenities.
According to Mr Assibey-Antwi enforcement of the movement to the new areas would be executed by a taskforce comprising representatives of the assembly, the leadership of the unions and the police.
Representative
All the 28 transport unions pledged their readiness to move to the Race Course but entreated the KMA to ensure that all vehicle owners complied with that order.
The representative of the 28 transport unions, Nana Nimako Bresiamah, stated that they were ready to partner with the KMA to inject sanity into the city and also ensure that Kumasi became a clean and disciplined city.