MCE of Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis ‘raise your body’ – Too much congestion in the CBD

• Posted on April 26, 2021April 26, 2021
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

One of the attributes of Sekondi-Takoradi has been the free flow of traffic in the city. This attribute obviously cannot be a permanent one as a result of growing population and internal migration but with lessons from cities that have failed at regulating traffic flow and to sit unconcerned for it to also happen in your vicinity as a leader like a Ghanaian awaiting the manifestation of a curse from Nogokpo is disturbing.

An area in the oil capital of Ghana that is witnessing widespread delay for commuters is the Market Circle area. Congestion in the Central Business District (CBD) of Takoradi has increased significantly as traders have turned pedestrian walkways, roads and medians into a trading post.

If the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) rarely plies the Market Circle route, this story is an alarm to him and his team. On March 29, 2021, www.233times.net sourced a story from Daily Graphic which reported that traders have taken over the streets of Takoradi. Barely a month after the story, the situation has worsened.

It might interest Readers to know that the Market Circle was decongested as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which required social distancing so those at the peripherals of Market Circle were relocated to Jubilee Park. It would be expected that any form of congestion at the area would reduce or better yet be non-existing but the extreme form of congestion is the case now. How? I wonder myself too.

Traders now flaunt their wares in the pedestrian walkways, roads and medians like a 5 year old child who has become aware of annual Christmas apparel. It’s not just a scene to upset, dangers are ignored with disdain. Wares such as clothes, footwear, herbal medicines, plastic products, fresh fish, second-hand clothing, vegetables, coconuts, doormats, tubers of yam are competing with human beings and cars for space in the CBD.

Aside from the Market Circle area, the inner-perimeter of STC traffic light through Collins Avenue to the market have become the boutiques of many now. The dresses displayed do not only distract the sight of pedestrians including school children who commute to school every week day, drivers struggle to have a clear view on that stretch.

Are we waiting for casualties before any action is taken or the sight of blood provokes action of leaders in the country like many posit? Is the MCE aware of this and are there tougher curbs on this?  

The attention of the MCE and his team are also drawn to the Old John Sarbah Road and the route towards the Market Circle Post Office through to Paa Grant Roundabout which has become a new hawking spot. The refuse that these activities leave behind is a whole article for another day.

It appears there wasn’t any formidable plan to handle these situations when the reconstruction of Market Circle came up. The constant excuse of the Metropolitan Managers that the reconstruction of Market Circle is the reason for the exasperating congestion is not only a cliché, it is appears as though there isn’t any leadership direction in this regard.

Dear Hon. Abdul-Mumin Issah, eight months into your administration as MCE is enough grace period to be romantic in write-ups to you, media stories about the congestion in CBD have become way too many. I not sure you’re the contemporary dead goat?

I shall return!

Author: Nana Kwesi Coomson (www.233times.net) @nkcoomson on Twitter/Instagram