Correspondence from Bono Region

The Sunyani Municipal Assembly in the Bono Region has begun a major decongestion
exercise in the Central Business District (CBD) of Sunyani aimed at easing traffic congestion and restoring order to the bustling commercial hub.

The exercise, which commenced on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, saw a joint team of cityguards and police officers clearing traders, hawkers, and unauthorised structures that had taken over pavements and streets.

According to the Assembly, the decongestion exercise is not to victimise anyone but is part of a broader long-term urban renewal plan to ensure the free flow of traffic, improve pedestrian safety, and enhance the overall business environment in the municipality to make Sunyani a cleaner and more organised city.

Speaking to journalists, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), Vincent Antwi Agyei, said the Assembly had engaged stakeholders ahead of the exercise and given repeated warnings to traders to relocate to designated areas.

“Ahead of the exercise, there was a stakeholders' engagement to rally support so that together we can keep Sunyani clean and orderly. Sunyani is growing rapidly, and our CBD cannot continue to be choked with indiscriminate trading activities. This exercise is necessary tobring order, reduce congestion, and create a safer and more business-friendly environment,”
the MCE explained.

He assured residents that the decongestion exercise would be sustained through regular monitoring and strict enforcement to prevent traders and drivers from returning to unauthorised spaces to transform Sunyani into a modern, well-structured city.

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“Together, we are taking bold steps to restore order and make Sunyani a cleaner and more organised city, so this exercise will be sustained through regular monitoring, and I am optimistic that with everyone’s cooperation, we will succeed”.

Vincent Antwi Agyei revealed that authorities have introduced clearly demarcated boundary lines in commercial areas like the “masom, masom” road, intended to regulate the space allocated to traders and ensure that no one sells their goods beyond the approved limits.

He added that the Assembly has initiated the construction of a new car park to complement the existing Victoria Park, to reduce the pressure on the central business area by providing motorists with more convenient parking options.

Beyond this, the Assembly has created clearly marked parking spaces along designated roads within the municipality to ensure orderliness and enhance traffic flow.

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The decongestion exercise has drawn mixed reactions from the public because while commercial drivers and commuters have largely welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely measure to tackle the persistent gridlock that has long disrupted movement within the CBD, some traders affected by the exercise have voiced their dissatisfaction, lamenting the inadequate designated spaces to cater for all of them.

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