Re-locate car park, bar operator appeals to TMA

Tema, Feb 13, GNA- The Tema Municipal Assembly (TMA), has been called upon to re-locate the commercial car park in front of the "El-Paso" day and night club at Tema community one, as it has become a haven for criminals. Apart from the place being used for criminal activities including selling and smoking of Indian hemp, the car park has gradually turned into a mini market and food joints. Madam Gloria Addison, Proprietor of "El-Paso', who made the appeal over the weekend during a press conference said, commercial drivers and their mates sleep and bath at the car park, while criminals break into her customers' vehicles to steal anytime they patronise her place. Madam Addison lamented that the activities of the criminals and the traders some of whom use naked fire at the place have become a nuisance to her customers, adding that she has regretted releasing the place to the TMA. According to her, she released the park, which used to be a car park for her customers to the TMA eight years ago to be used as commercial car park. "The TMA promised me some commission, but I have never received anything from them since". "Apart from not paying me the commission, the TMA collects tolls from my customers for parking their vehicles at the place, resulting in a low patronage of my bar". She stated that the members of the Assembly's Revenue Council collected licenses ranging from GH A215 to GH A250 in addition to daily tolls from the traders before allocating portions of the park to them without informing her. Madam Addison said several letters written to the TMA for a negotiation on the issue has proven futile, and the Assembly had not even responded to any of her letters to them. A copy of one of the letters dated August 28, 2002 addressed to the Municipal Chief Executive and signed by Madam Addison made available to the press stated that "This is a reminder to my two previous letters about the commercial vehicle owners who have turned the open-space in front of El-Paso into a commercial vehicle station". "Customers often complain that they are attacked and their car boots forcibly opened, I wish therefore to plead with the Municipal Assembly to ban the commercial vehicles from the area" the letter stated. Mr Kofi Asamoah, a trader who operates at the park told the GNA that he paid GH A215 to the Council and was permitted to sell gas cylinders and stoves at the place. Officials of the TMA when contacted by the GNA denied receiving any petition from her but promised to look into the issue.