Takoradi, July 05, GNA – Traders, and shop owners who were recently relocated from the Takoradi market circle to a temporary market site, have appealed to City authorities to put the temporary market in good shape for them to operate.
According to them, the onset of rains is having a toll on their businesses since the place is so muddy.
According to them, despite the various assurances given by the Mayor of the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) of an improved and efficient security system such as street lights and security personnel, and an improved floor works, traders at the temporary market place wedre still selling their wares in the mud.
The market women were given Monday, May 3 as a deadline to relocate to the temporary site to pave way for the commencement of the redevelopment of the market at a time when the temporary site was seventy-five percent complete with an assurance of speeding up ongoing works on the site.
Prior to the relocation, Mr William Tei Kpoti, Metro Works Engineer at the STMA announced that the temporary place was substantially completed with about 75 percent work completed and was expected to be fully completed soon.
Giving the scope of work at the site, he mentioned the land size of the site as 8.7 acres (30,940 sq km) to accommodate about 2000 traders and comprised all kinds of traders at the Market Circle and added that the site would be filled with stone chippings, whereas canopies would be provided for traders within the inner perimeters.
Mr John Laste, Public Relations Officer of the STMA in an interview said they had mounted security lights at all vantage points and were about to install gates at the various entry points of the market.
He said that the Assembly had recruited 13 additional security personnel to augment the work of the previous personnel who were at the old market place to beef up security at the temporary market, while there were police patrols at night as well.
Some traders who spoke to the GNA mentioned some challenges facing them at the site as the non-availability of electricity supply, since some of their goods, which needed refrigeration were going bad due to the absence of electricity.
They called for the immediate attention of the Assembly to complete the scheme of work at the place especially, improving the floor works and the drains as well as providing them with canopies as promised before the relocation.
GNA