Traders, market women, hawkers who sold on the pavements and streets, as well as drivers who parked and loaded passengers indiscriminately were asked by a task force from the assembly to vacate the place.

Made up of the Police, Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate, Environmental officers and city guards, the task force explained that the purpose of the exercise was to enhance the free flow of traffic and also allow pedestrians to use the pavements instead of walking on the streets.

Prior to the exercise, the Municipal Chief Executive of the NJSMA, Mr Isaac Appaw-Gyasi, explained to the media that even though the assembly had occasionally organised such exercise, some recalcitrant hawkers, traders and drivers still found their way back to the streets and pavements to sell or park and load indiscriminately.

“This wrong attitude is unacceptable and long overdue and if we want to maintain a clean modern city, then we cannot allow these hawkers, traders and drivers to continue this lawlessness,” he said.

He noted that the pavements were made purposely for pedestrians to use, “but these traders have overtaken both sides of the pavements all over town and were selling indiscriminately whilst some drivers also parked and loaded indiscriminately causing traffic.”

He reiterated that the menace must stop and stated that the assembly was determined to do everything possible to ensure the exercise was sustained.

“For this reason, the Assembly has invested heavily in the exercise by recruiting additional 20 city guards to help in the exercise, which will be intensively enforced for two weeks and sustained afterwards,” he revealed.

He advised some market women and men who had vacated their sheds inside the market to sell outside to return.

He, however,  revealed that shops and sheds have been made available at the Zongo, Agatha , Beads, Central and Juaben Serwaa markets for those without sheds to enable them leave the streets.

The MCE explained that prior to the exercise, the Assembly had met various groups and stakeholders, including the market women association, transport owners, organised public fora among others to educate the public on the exercise.

He said the decongestion exercise was the first phase, adding that a second phase, which would be cleaning of the markets would follow later.

He warned recalcitrant traders, hawkers and drivers to adhere to the laws or would be dealt with if found culpable.