The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), in collaboration with the security agencies, have embarked on an extensive decongestion exercise to clear some parts of the city’s Central Business District (CBD) of petty traders, who had taken up the area.

This is to pave way for the inauguration of the arterial roads linking the completed first phase of the Kejetia/Central Market Redevelopment Project, which had been expanded under the project, to ensure free vehicular and human movement.

The stretches are; the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) Roundabout –Kejetia, Dr Mensah-Kejetia, and the Suame roundabout to Kejetia, which had been taken over by petty traders.

Mr. Osei Assibey Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), briefing newsmen in Kumasi, said the Assembly had directed the traders to relocate to any of the satellite markets dotted around the city.

The exercise, he said, had begun after a two-week ultimatum by the city authorities to the traders to vacate the streets.

“We want to make sure that there are no obstacles on the roads when they are finally opened to traffic,” he said.

Mr. Assibey-Antwi pointed out that, under no circumstance, would the Assembly allow traders to hawk on the road.

Some traders had since the beginning of the Redevelopment Project invaded unapproved areas in the CBD for business, refusing to relocate to the satellite markets in spite of several warnings.

The MCE said the Assembly’s taskforce would continue to be at post until all the traders had relocated to designated areas.

He said the Assembly had taken the necessary steps to ensure that everything was in order before opening the Kejetia roads.