Hawkers invade major streets in Tamale

Hawkers have taken over the major streets and pavements in Tamale, the Northern regional capital, making vehicular and pedestrian movement difficult, Starr News has observed.

Petty traders mostly women now display their wares of all kinds including clothing, cooking utensils, fruits, vegetables among host of other items on the streets.

Starr News can report that the road from the Tamale to Nyankpala, the Vodafone road, the main taxi rank to the Tamale Teaching Hospital road and many other busy streets have been virtually blocked by the hawkers.

Mini markets have also been created on the streets and traders sell their wares on the middle of the streets whiles personnel of MTTU and the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly Task Force appear helpless with the situation.

As a result, drivers in the city now take several hours to drive through the raucous business centre which would have taken them few minutes to cover.

The situation is causing serious challenges, especially for commercial drivers and pedestrians, as the number of accidents keep increasing.

Starr News checks with city authorities reveal that at least 8 persons have lost their lives as a result of the street takeover by the hawkers.

Reports of pick-pocketing and thievery are on the rise in the city as some criminals take advantage of the situation to rob unsuspected people.

Starr News gathers that the situation is worse at the main Bus Terminal and Aboabo market, other business areas in the city where excessive dirt is also openly displayed, worsening the appalling insanitary condition in the city. Sanitation Exercise for sometime now. Rubbish containers have been left uncleared leaving an overpowering stench all over in the city.

The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly embarked on a decongestion exercise some time ago to rid the streets and pavements off hawkers

The exercise was short lived and the assembly could not sustain it because of perceived political reasons, a member of the market taskforce team told Starr News.

According to him, the MCE Hana Gundaadow appears scared that forcibly evicting the hawkers will affect the political fortunes of the NDC.

Attempt to reach the MC for his comments have been unsuccessful.