Assin North Assembly clears traders off the streets

The Assin North Assembly has ended a two-day massive decongestion exercise to clear the principal streets of the Municipality of traders and motorists that had occupied the streets, pavements and other unauthorised places.

The affected traders and motorists had been relocated to a new market near the Fosu National Health Insurance (NHIS) office after a decision was reached with the traders at a meeting with the Municipal authorities.

According to the city authorities, the exercise was to get rid of vendors and hawkers trading along some designated streets.

The exercise being led by Mr Adamu Frimpong, Chairman of the Assembly's Works Committee had displaced scores of traders, but he assured the in habitants of cape Coast that the move was part of the redevelopment plan of the Municipality to pave way for the reconstruction of town roads to open up the area to attract investments and boost businesses.

He added that the presence of the traders and more especially motorists and hawkers along some designated streets and walkways had contributed to the huge vehicular traffic congestion in the Municipality.

The Works Chairman said the Assembly had received lots of complaints from residents who were not happy with the chaotic nature of the streets in the municipality, hence its decision among others to decongest the city.

He described the exercise as a long-term strategy, explaining that there were series of consultations with opinions leaders, religious heads, traders and other residents before implementation of the decision.

Speaking in an interview with the Media on Tuesday, he cautioned the traders against treating the Assembly's directive and relocation with contempt, treating it as one of those usual rhetoric.

He assured that the Assembly will not hesitate to arrest and subsequently prosecute traders and hawkers who would be caught doing business after being assisted to the new market.

In all of this, some affected traders, transport operators, and commuters who were seethed with anger after the exercise expressed worry about the Assembly to relocate them.

The aggrieved traders who spoke with the Ghana News Agency explained that they were not against the relocation but rather, they were afraid of losing their customers as Christmas peaks.

They, however pleaded with the Assembly to allow them operate temporarily while they prepared to relocate after the yuletide.

Others said, they were not given enough notice and a lot of information and engagement were not done before the decongestion exercise.