The increasing vehicular traffic in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs, which is creating undue congestion on the major trunk roads, is being compounded by free range cattle along the streets in the metropolis.
The cattle, mostly with no herdsmen to direct them, also create panic in some residential areas as they look for grass to graze and water to keep them alive.
Residents at such suburbs as Ahensan, Atonsu–Agogo, Asawase, Dichemso, Kaase and Moshie Zongo, etc are the worst affected by the intrusion of cattle that move in and around their surroundings, leaving their droppings on the streets and adding to the environmental problem that already exits in those areas.
Some of the animals, for reasons difficult to understand, and as if they are in a race, sometimes begin to gallop as they trek along, creating panic among children and women.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) bye-laws are specifically against rearing of cattle free range in the Kumasi metropolis.
Ironically, nothing or little has been done over the years to deter residents interested in rearing cattle to get them enclosed.
Article 2 of the KMA bye-laws on cattle rearing states: "The rearing and/or the keeping of cattle in any premises or in any public part of the metropolis, other than for immediate slaughter, or in such public places as the KMA may provide for that purpose, is forbidden, and any cattle kept in contravention of these bye-laws, may be seized by any person authorised by the KMA and placed in a pond".
Article 5 also states that "any cattle placed in a pond may be detained there until the owner pays to the KMA a fee covering the impounding and the maintenance of the cattle as may from time to time be fixed by resolution of the KMA."
Article 6 stipulates that "any cattle remaining in the pond for more than seven days for which no fee has been paid by the owner, shall be sold by public auction, and the proceeds paid to the KMA."
The bye–law was enacted by the KMA on December 28, 1995, but since its enactment, it has never been enforced.
The result is that law-abiding residents suffer from the selfish interests of a few individuals who rear cattle at the expense of others, and the assembly officials, who are supposed to protect civil society from the menace of free-range cattle, are doing precious little about it.
A few months ago, a private saloon car ran into a herd of cattle moving along the Ahensan-Atonso Agogo highway. The driver of the car was injured and his car was damaged, creating serious financial problems for him.
Ironically, since there was no one guarding the cattle, the victim had no one to hold responsible for reimbursement of the medical bills and repair expenses he incurred on his car.
The Daily Graphic had on numerous occasions reminded the KMA of its obligations to prevent free-range rearing of cattle along the major highways to enhance sanity on the road and keep accidents to the barest minimum, but the regular reminders have always fallen on deaf ears.
One of such accidents nearly occurred at Asawase at the weekend when a vehicle, in an attempt to avoid running into a herd of cattle moving along the street, nearly collided head-on with an oncoming vehicle.
The Daily Graphic is once again reminding the KMA that apart from collecting various taxes from the business community to sustain its revenue generation, the assembly also has an obligation to protect residents from animals which are not only a nuisance, but also sometimes cause serious accidents, resulting in fatalities and high costs.
It is time the KMA stuck strictly to its bye-laws to create a congenial atmosphere in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs to safeguard law-abiding residents.
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