Sekondi-Takoradi traders begin relocation for work on T'di Market Circle

The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has scheduled Monday, February 15 to Friday, March 5 to relocate traders at the Takoradi Market Circle to a temporary market.

The relocation is to allow for the redevelopment of the over-90-year-old market, which has not seen any facelift since it was constructed.

This is despite increasing congestion and numerous fire outbreaks the market has witnessed.

The Assembly has since last year been engaging traders and transport operators at the Takoradi Market Circle on the impending relocation.

It has earmarked three distinct places where it will be relocating the traders. The main center is the GHPA quarters close to the Ahenfie Hotel.

Work at the site is about 75 percent complete.

Sekondi-Takoradi Works Engineer William Tei-Kpoti told reporters after a stakeholder meeting that the Assembly will be moving the traders in phases.

“We have been able to do the lockable shops. Currently, we have done almost about 400 shops for the main temporary site. We have also prepared surfaces and will raise pavilion for the tailors and seamstresses. We will do few shops for those who sell accessories and after three weeks, we will be confident to say we have finished with everything at the temporary site. Because we have gone that far about 75 percent of the entire site, we now want to start the movement of the traders. Because we cannot finish everything before we move them”.

Urban Roads Engineer for STMA Michael Dzisi, on his part, said there is going to be a comprehensive road traffic management to ensure that the works at the main market will not affect vehicular movement.

“We want to create a pedestrian walkway from the quarters area to the Paa Grant [Roundabout] so that pedestrians can move safely and conveniently. The immediate environs of the new location, we are going to introduce one-way system. The one-way system is to ensure that we avoid left turns which normally leads to congestion. The next thing we are going to do is that fortunately we have the public bus system RBT in the city. We will let the bus work to move as many people as possible for people not to drive to the construction area.”

By Eric Yaw Adjei|3news.com|Ghana