The Ayawaso West Municipal Assembly has directed traders operating around Villagio and the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange in Accra to relocate to Santana Market as part of efforts to improve sanitation and protect pedestrian safety.
Municipal Chief Executive Dr Michael Mensah said the traders had been operating from unauthorised locations that were not designated for commercial activity.
Speaking to Channel One News, Dr Mensah said the Assembly had deployed a task force to prevent traders from returning to the area after being removed.
He explained that enforcement officers would remain on site throughout the day, with plans to extend surveillance into the night to ensure compliance with the directive.
“With the people selling in front of Villagio or opposite Villagio, that place is not a market as I have indicated in the past. So as a result of that, we have asked them to relocate and we have stopped them from selling there,” he said.
Dr Mensah acknowledged the difficulty of permanently clearing the area, noting that some traders continued to return after enforcement exercises.
The MCE encouraged affected traders to apply for spaces at Santana Market, which the Assembly has identified for development as part of its planned 24-hour economy market.
“So currently we have one market within the municipality, which is the Santana Market. So we are encouraging everyone to go to the Santana Market and apply to do their trade there,” he added.
The directive follows repeated attempts by municipal authorities to clear unauthorised trading structures around the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange. Earlier enforcement exercises had been followed by traders returning to the area.
The Assembly says it intends to sustain the operation to prevent renewed occupation of restricted spaces, while encouraging traders to continue their businesses at an approved market location.
The extent of relocation support and the availability of trading spaces at Santana Market were not detailed in the report.
