Kumasi, Aug 1, GNA- The Transport Commission of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) has accepted a parking management scheme designed by the Department of Urban Roads to decongest the central business area of the city. The scheme is to be placed before the general assembly for adoption. It proposes hourly charges for parking in the central business district and suggests that the scheme should be managed by the private sector.

If adopted, the scheme could generate revenue of about 20.5 million cedis a month and could run into about 5.5 billion cedis a year for the KMA. Under the scheme, car owners would be expected to pay 3,000 cedis per hour for parking at specific areas to be designated and those who wish to park for a whole day would also have designated areas to park for a fee.

Shop owners who wish to park their cars in front of their shops could buy the space for a whole year. Introducing the scheme at a meeting with the Transport Commission in Kumasi at the weekend, Mr Amo Godfred, the Metropolitan Urban Roads Engineer, said the scheme seeks to provide the movement of people and goods in an orderly manner to benefit shoppers and residents. He said the present situation was that the frontage of buildings in the central business district had been commandeered for commercial activities and parking.

Hawkers had also taken over the walkways and were selling their wares thereby obstructing the free movement of people while unauthorised commercial activities were also carried out on parked vehicles. Mr Amo said under the scheme, well designed roads to regulate crossing points would be designed to cater for all as well as clearly designed access between all major departure and distribution points. The scheme, he said, would also develop a two-way traffic flow on some major streets like the Prempeh II Street, Zongo Road, Adum Harper Road and Prempeh I Street.