The Mayor of Douala, Roger Mbassa Ndine, launched yesterday June 22 an operation to discourage parking and illegal occupation of sidewalks. Any offender may be fined up to CFA250,000.

The irregular parking of a motorcycle or the "deposit of any other object" is subject to a fine of CFA10,000. The fine is CFA25,000 for a vehicle of a commercial establishment, a laundry, a hairdresser's salon, a lemonade stand, or any other "similar activities" and CFA50,000 for a pick-up vehicle.

As for the irregular parking of a large vehicle or a container, the offender is liable to pay a fine of CFA200,000. For those guilty of depositing construction equipment on the sidewalk, the fine will be CFA250,000. Fines will be paid at the municipal revenue office, upon presentation of the official report of the attendant.

According to the mayor, these measures will help clear the sidewalks for pedestrians. Early this month, the mayor had asked all the motorcycle taxis occupying, in an anarchic way, the surroundings of the Deido traffic circle to return to a special space arranged for them.

L.A.