The government is moving ahead with plans to establish food courts, market tarmacs and designated commercial hubs across the country as part of a broader effort to address growing concerns about roadside vending, sanitation and public order.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali announced on Friday while speaking during a press conference at the Office of the President.
The head of state said complaints about roadside vending, cleanliness and the misuse of roadways are among the issues most frequently raised by citizens.
“This is one of the things that we are receiving complaints on every single day,” President Ali said, noting that concerns about roadside vending, sanitation and roadway abuse regularly dominate conversations with members of the public.
To tackle the issue, the president said the ministries of public works and local government have been tasked with developing a plan to identify strategic locations in key urban centres that can be transformed into organised commercial and entertainment spaces.
“We have launched a programme identifying areas where we’re going to build out these food courts, market tarmacs, create beautiful infrastructure, and move persons to those locations,” he stated.
According to the president, the initiative is to create more orderly and attractive environments for vendors while simultaneously improving sanitation, hygiene and public services.
He explained that clustering vendors in designated locations would not only enhance cleanliness and management but also create commercial hubs that could attract more customers and strengthen businesses.
“You create a hub around those activities that will benefit their businesses,” the president said.
The government is also addressing concerns about heavy-duty vehicles occupying roadways.
President Ali revealed that nearly 300 acres of land are currently being developed to provide parking facilities for trucks, allowing them to be removed from public roads and relocated to dedicated spaces.
“We are now developing almost 300 acres of parking facility for those trucks to come off of the roadways,” he said.
The president expressed hope that by the end of the year, several of these facilities will be operational, to have at least one in every Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) area or major community.