Traders Invade Nkololoun Road Again in Douala

The newly constructed double lane road in New Bell linking the Nkololoun Market junction to "Marché des femmes" still remains heavily encroached, chaotic and unorganised. Before now, the administration in Douala launched several drives against vendors and demolished unauthorised structures, but in vain.

Presently, vendors flank on both sides of the roads, encroaching upon major area and leaving too little space for traffic movement. Even so shopkeepers, vendors who influx the stretch on a daily basis have merged the two markets and cause traffic snarls. Now, the area is inhabited by thousands of vendors out of whom, only few have been issued sale licenses. Another bane is motorbike users who park bikes on roads at every junction in the area, even so close to the Central Prison. The President of a motorbike-users trade union, who asked to remain anonymous, says no parking lots were allocated in the area.

The reality, however, is that all efforts of the City Council authorities to keep the lanes and other roads around and shop verandas free from encroachment have gone futile. This irks many passersby and permanent shopkeepers whose business is getting impacted by the encroachment. When tarring of the road was over, gendarmes, police and municipal police stood along the road throughout the day, checking and evicting encroaching vendors. The mixed patrol deployed on several occasions to the area launched several drives and demolished unauthorised constructions, evicted vendors from narrow lanes, lifted the motorbikes illegally parked on the roads at junctions to their office. Many city dwellers thought their plight was over.

Surprisingly, permanent traders have rebuilt illegal basements, parapets on verandas and illegally extended their shop counters in the past several months. Street vendors have failed to keep at bay from demarcating white lines on roadsides, which were made to restrict vending activities within the boundary. Petty traders selling from two-wheeled trucks, wheelbarrows or on mats are just few of the vexing features that allow commuters to merely squeeze along.

Also, the lanes meet the busy Central Market traffic roundabout causing traffic rigidity. The roundabout and junctions have no traffic signals for the smooth flow of traffic movement and traffic police simply ignore them and observe traders encroaching the roads. They have remained mute spectators when the riders park motorbikes at the junctions and causing nuisance and traffic snarls. Traffic becomes sluggish as from mid day throughout evening and worsens at week-ends and feast days.