The perennial tussle between city authorities and traders within the Accra metropolis seems not have any end in sight, Today can report.
Today has learnt that traders at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle appear to be battle ready for a showdown with city authorities should they be asked to leave where they are occupying presently to find a new place to sell their wares.
Due to the construction of the overpass at Kwame Nkrumah Circle, many traders have been displaced forcing majority of them to display their goods at any available space irrespective of the danger it poses.
The development, this paper learnt, has become so disturbing that often during rush hours, pedestrians have to struggle to wriggle themselves out of the crowd to either join a vehicle or cross the road.
The footpaths under all sections of the overpass have become narrower due to the takeover of the already narrow access routes for pedestrians to use.
What is even more worrying, Today further discovered, was the boldness of some of the traders to sell very close to heavy duty machines ignoring the consequences of any apparent fatality should any accident occurs.
“Though city guards are on site trying to ensure traders do not get to danger zones, a few of them ignore the warnings and go ahead to sell,” some residents at Kwame Nkrumah Circle told Today.
“…with the yuletide in sight, many more traders are flooding the construction site hoping to make some sales during the season,” they added.
Some traders who spoke to Today appealed to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to let them sell at their present place until a new market place is found for them.
They expressed worry about the hard economic conditions which they claimed had forced them to trade at such dangerous places.
“We need to support our families and for now these are our sources of livelihood,” they said.
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