Residents in the regional capital have therefore lauded the exercise, saying it has facilitated free movements of pedestrians and vehicles.

On the other side, the exercise undertaken by some officers from the Third Garrison Battalion (3BN) has attracted the displeasure of many of the affected traders and food vendors who were selling on pavements.

During a visit on Tuesday, the Ghana News Agency sighted that business activities were re-surfacing at the decongested areas of the CBD.

Some of the affected traders – shoe, vegetable and fruit sellers and other food vendors and mobile phone dealers and repairers have returned to their selling joints.

They are gradually occupying the shoulders of the road to the Sunyani main station, post office and the one-way passing in front of the yellow-painted Municipal Assembly two-storey building and the old market.

Several unauthorised market centres are also springing up at areas such as the Sunyani Newtown and Area One.

The traders are engaged in various items including vegetables and dried fish.

In an interview with the GNA, some of the traders said they were back on the street because that was the only way to earn a means of living.

They appealed to the city authorities to give them some grace period to enable them relocate.

Madam Yaa Agnes, a-55-year-old roasted plantain seller at the CBD, said several quantities of her food stuff have spoiled because she was affected by the decongestion exercise.

Joyce Anima, another fruit seller at the Sunyani main station, appealed to government to intervene as the decongestion exercise has affected their economic activities.

George Offei, a shoe seller, said the decongestion exercise was a good idea, but the Assembly failed to give traders the needed notice before embarking on the exercise.