KMA'S TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT MAKES POSITIVE IMPACT

The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Traffic Management Paid Parking Project, initiated at the central business district (CBD) two years ago, is making giant strides in their operations.
Two years after the project began, as much as GH¢794226.10 has been generated by Goldstreet Real Estate Consult, which is managing the CBD on-street and off-street parking spots.
The consult makes a daily average collection of GH¢1,627.31 and in May it made the highest collection of GH¢42,310.
The Executive Director of Goldstreet Real Estate Consult, Mr Mark Kakraba Ampeh, told the Daily Graphic that the company was committed to the effective and efficient management of the project to ensure that it generated adequate revenue as well as improved sanitary conditions at the CBD.
He said in January 2008, the company collected GH¢42,380.97, from the on-street and off-street collection, clamping and towing operations. He gave the figures for February, March, April and May as GH¢39,251.60; GH¢39,252.48; GH¢41,587.28 and GH¢42,310.00 respectively.
Mr Kakraba Ampeh further said the monthly collection between January and May, this year was higher than what was collected last year and that there was consistency in the growth in revenue for 2008 as against 2007.
For his part, the General Manager of Goldstreet Real Estate Consult, Mr G. K. Arkoh-Mensah told the Daily Graphic that apart from the cumulative revenue of GH¢794226.10 over the two-year period, the company was also committed to carrying out the usual regular cleaning and collection of garbage "to ensure proper environmental sanitation".
He said it was only when the CBD was put into proper shape and good sanitary practices were carried out that commercial activities would improve and result in a corresponding increase in revenue generated there.
He said the undue pressure on the company’s cleaners had reduced considerably with the door-to-door collection system gathering momentum in the CBD.
He said the past months had also seen regular cleaning of gutters, streets and pavements, which made it possible for the business community to operate in a healthy environment.
Mr Arkoh-Mensah commended the public for their co-operation since the inception of the paid parking operations and urged them to sustain it.
He said the revenue recovered from their towing and clamping operations was also increasing steadily and stressed that as much as GH¢2,537.00 was generated from the towing and clamping of vehicles in April this year.
He said the amount generated in April from the towing of vehicles was an indication that there was " high level of wrongful parking at the CBD" and gave the assurance that “concrete steps are being taken to control the situation".