Sierra Leone Police carried out an early-morning operation Monday to remove street traders and dismantle makeshift stalls along Krootown Road, as authorities intensify efforts to enforce urban order in Freetown.

The operation, conducted in the pre-dawn hours, targeted sections of the busy corridor stretching between Choithram Supermarket and Kingtom Bridge, according to accounts of the exercise. Officers cleared informal structures that had expanded along pedestrian and vehicle routes toward the Paediatricians’ Way axis.

Police actions form part of a broader campaign aimed at reducing congestion, improving pedestrian access, and addressing unauthorised trading in key commercial zones of the capital.

Krootown Road, located within Freetown’s Central Business District, has long been a high-traffic route where informal trading has increasingly spilt onto walkways and roadside spaces, often obstructing movement for both pedestrians and motorists.

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While authorities emphasise restoration of order and improved traffic flow, the operation has revived concerns among small-scale traders who say they were left without immediate alternatives for continuing their businesses.

One affected trader, Mariama, described the clearance as disruptive, especially during a critical period for household earnings.

She said the existing designated trading area along Krootown Road was already overcrowded and unable to absorb all vendors displaced by the operation, and urged authorities to consider providing additional spaces for those affected.

The latest enforcement exercise is expected to continue as part of ongoing efforts by city authorities to regulate street trading and ease congestion across central Freetown.