Kumasi, Dec. 20, GNA— The Kumasi Central Business District (CBD), one of the busiest commercial areas in the country, has seen huge traffic congestion as commuters besiege the area ahead of Christmas festivities.
Vehicles plying Adum, Central market and Kejetia are finding it difficult to move about freely amid the congestion as personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) direct their movement.
The traffic congestion could also be attributed to many traders, who have displayed their wares on the pavements and shoulders of the roads at the CBD to attract customers.
The situation compelled some drivers, especially those plying the Bantama-Kejetia and Abuakwa-Kejetia roads, to drop off passengers at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) roundabout to avoid being caught up in the traffic congestion for many hours.
Many passengers and traders, therefore, are left with no choice than to walk to their various destinations for shopping.
In an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Monday, some of the drivers counted the cost associated with the developments, urging the city authorities to expand the road network.
“The traffic congestion in Kumasi keeps worsening every year due to the increasing number of people in the city,” Master Kwame Nti, a commercial driver plying the Bantama-Kejetia road, said.
The situation, he noted, had the possibility of affecting their daily sales given the time they waste in the traffic.
Madam Cynthia Oduro, a trader, bemoaned the congestion at the CBD, saying she had to spend more than two hours from Abuakwa to Kejetia, a destination she could have taken less than an hour.
Meanwhile, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has advised road users to conform to road traffic regulations during Christmas to prevent road crashes and knock-downs.
GNA