Site to resettle wood dealers unveiled

The Platform for the Fight against Urban Disorder visited ‘Pont Blanchisseur’ on Wednesday.

‘Pont Blanchisseur, found in the Dakar Neighbourhood at the Douala III municipality is the site where some wood dealers of Marché Congo and traders from an area known as ‘Ancien Dalip’ will soon be resettled.

The two-hectare land that is presently used as a football field by locals, was on January 28, visited by the Committee charged with the Fight against Urban Disorder known in French as “Plateforme de lutte contre le désordre urbain,” during its 15 edition.

On the site, the Government Delegate to the Douala City Council, Dr. Fritz Ntone Ntone presented the peace of land to the Committee President, Naseri Paul Bea that will soon be under constructed. The second stop took the Committee to the famous Ndokoti junction where traders share carriageway with heavy-duty vehicles, bikes and taxis.

The area is also known for its frequent ghastly motor accidents and robbery. At press time, the carriageway was free, since the traders were tipoff about the Committee’s visit. Should one return there after the inspection, it will not be the same story since traders most have occupied part of the carriageway, a shop owner revealed. At the Ahmadou Ahidjo Boulevard stretch, the inspection team led by Naseri Paul Bea, trek a distance of over one km with the Municipal Police and Forces of Law and Order sending away obstinate traders.

day before the field inspection, the Government Delegate led a team to Hotel le Nde stretch in Akwa, where car dealers occupy part of the road with vehicles for sale making circulation difficult. The dealers pleaded to be given till February 1st to evacuate the road.

The Municipal police are now adequately equipped to exercise their duties despite the sad incident where a trader was beaten and later died in the hospital for vehemently refusing to liberate the road. Hence, a mix patrol would be carried out by the Forces of Law and Order and the Municipal Police in five priority zone where urban disorder is at its peak.

During a working session after the field inspection, sub committees including Communication, Hygiene and Sanitation and the Fire Fighting Brigade gave their monthly reports.