The failure of the Ablekuma North Municipal Assembly to allocate a portion earmarked for lorry station at the Mallam Market is creating tension and a possible disaster awaiting as traders and vehicles obstruct the free flow of vehicles and human activities.
The situation is so dangerous to the extent that any break failure from vehicles accessing the Kasoa to Kaneshie Highway through to Accra Central Market will result in death and casualties.
What has aggravated the situation is the taking over of the middle median by petty traders who normally are non-residential at the market but only fall in and out at anytime.
The phenomenon is such that the selling and parked vehicles of buyers to the market has narrowed the road and created unnecessary traffic on daily basis.
Information gathered by Republic Press indicates that the only place earmarked for a lorry station under the ongoing construction of the market by the government has been sold out to traders by some market queens in connivance with some top officials at the Assembly.
Currently, there is no place at the market where vehicles offload goods, buyers park their vehicles to trade and no place to load goods out of the market unless the medians of the road at both sides while the Assembly look unconcern.
A visit to the market will be welcomed by heavy traffic which always drives buyers away due to the lack of space to park vehicles and trade whiles shop owners with vehicles have to park on the busy street.
Speaking to the paper, a plantain seller at the median, Ms Esi Adwoa Quayson narrates how she escaped death two weeks ago from a failed-break articulator truck which nearly rounded her up.
Ms. Quayson said despite the dangerous nature of the market, traders continue to pay daily taxes to officials at the assembly but nothing has been done over the year.
โWe are only left to our fate so what we are saying is that the portion we heard was earmarked for lorry station must be developed immediately to so that can ease the traffic situation,โ She stated.
Some other traders the paper spoke to also expressed the same sentiment and called on the appropriate authorities to find a solution before any disaster happens.
Another critical issue is pedestrians’ refusal to use the footbridge.
The situation is more dangerous in the early mornings and late evenings when there is a free flow of traffic.
