APPC and Police barranta to stop street trading
Following the current spate of street trading on the main old road along Calaba Town Market in the east of Freetown, the Area Police Partnership Committee and the Police have recently conducted a tour with the media to get first hand information about the problems affecting Calaba Town market traders and to proffer solution to that would stop street trading in the Calaba town market community.
The APPC Chairman David Yambasu and Officials from YDM and the media visited the market community and this is what the street traders told the press.
‘’We are not disputing to sell inside the market you are referring to but the space is too small to accommodate us all’’ Fatmata Bangura a street trader informed said. Kadiatu Kamara a street traders who displayed her items on top the newly constructed drainages argued that the market stalls provided in the new market are not sufficient to display their wares while Fatu Bangura another street trader accused traders inside the market as wizards who pilfer on their businesses.
The media took tour of the market environment where some traders inside the market interviewed said they are expressed dismay at the newly elected market committee for the spate of street trading. They accused the market chairman Mohamed Sesay for levity on his work alleging that the chairman condones with street traders to sell along the street.
They frowns at the allegation levied on them by their colleagues of bewitching them and revealed that they are not getting sales inside the market because their companions are selling outside when they have market stalls inside the market but only the prefer to sell outside preventing costumers to buy from them. ‘’Because we are not getting enough sales like our colleagues we are left with no alternative but to send our children to sell on the street.’’ They lamented.
They cite as example the recent arrest of street traders by the Calaba town police and recalled that most of the street traders who were arrested were children of traders who sell inside the market for which they pleads with the APPC chairman and the Freetown City Council to ensure that their colleagues return to their normal place of business.
At the Calaba Town Police Station, the Officer Commanding Calaba Town Police post, OC Memuna Samura recalled that a new market executive was recently formed to address street trading but it appears as if the committee is doing nothing to stop street trading.
She expressed disappointment at the increasing lawlessness exhibited by Calaba Town market traders and recalled that when these traders are arrested the chairlady comes in to free them underscoring that the duty of the police is to save lives and property and called on the committee to give a stipulated time to launch the operation push traders from the main street.
The Market committee chairman refute the claims of condoning with street traders pointing out that since his arrival to the community he was dealing with food stuff but has transformed the business to a boutique and denied that he has never collected a cent from street traders but also recalled that the traders inside the market are selfish.
He said he was intending to change the name of the market from Kongosa market to another name noting that the name Kongosa is reflecting in the business community. After hanging heads with the chairlady and other executive members of the market committee they all agreed that come the 21st of October 2016 no street traders would be allowed to sell along the street.
He also reminded the APPC chairman and the Police that they will disseminate the message to their colleagues to quit the street before that period.
Mohamed Sesay also highlighted the committee’s efforts to construct steps on the rocky path towards the new market site to allow fish and vegetable traders to relocate.
Zainab Fofanah the interim market chairlady attribute street trading in the community to the attitude of some traders inside the old market described them as selfish traders who threatens the peace of their colleagues. She also pointed out that, some of traders do not recognize the new executive neither listens to them.
The APPC Chairman David Yambasu frowns at the level of street trading on the old main motor road at the Calaba Town Market. He recalled that an interim market executive was recently formed to address the issue of traders expressed the hazards of selling on prohibited areas and negative impact it has on the lives of traders and the masses.
He recalled the recent arrest of some market traders who were arrested for selling on the main street around the market community. He said it was himself who ordered the Officer Commanding the police post to release them, urged the committee to fast-track work at the new market to allow some of the traders to relocate.
He said the APPC is charged with the responsibility of protecting lives and property for which he admonished the interim chairman to levy fines on defaulters who are found flouting the law.
Other speakers at the Police post include Mustapha Sesay a community stakeholder observed the increasing number of wheelbarrows in the market pointing out that the wheelbarrows are posing threat to vehicular and human traffic alleging that the chairlady of the committee Zainab Fofanah owns all the wheelbarrows in the market.
Amadu S. Kargbo.
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