Somaliland: Hargeisa Roads Named After Prominent Somalilanders

Somaliland: Hargeisa Roads Named After Prominent Somalilanders


Parked buses block a city road in HargeisaBy: Yusuf M Hasan

HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) - Ease of movement for visitors to Hargeisa has been enhanced following the naming of major roads and streets in the city.


This was announced by the mayor of Hargeisa Eng.: Hussein Mahmoud "Jiir" at a council meeting held in a city hotel.


Mayor Jiir revealed that the proposed names for major roads were unanimously approved during the 64th session of the Hargeisa Municipal council. The roads will be named after prominent Somalilanders whose achievements in various sectors are acknowledged nationally. The names to be used were selected from a list proposed by city residents.


The city father said that street names augmented by the recently introduced house numbering will facilitated better service provision as well as tax collection


Hargeisa Mayor JiirHe thanked councillors, central government and city residents for their conducive cooperation and more specifically the UN-Habit which has supported the municipality over the years.


Said the mayor "through the support of UN-Habit, the city municipality has managed produce a city map, number all houses and now the street names"

The city map was produced following an aerial mapping project fully funded by UN-Habit five years ago, the aerial mapping the ease of house numbering, which has also eased tax collection by both the central and local governments. Other beneficiaries have been the water agency as well as the government and privately owned power companies.

The hitherto unnamed city streets have been a major constrain not only to visitors but locals as well as precise direction giving has been impossible. Direction giving has been generalized thus able to get directions to an entire estate (called village) but not a specific site on the estate.

Members of the public have praised the city fathers on finally naming major streets within the city thus negating confusion prevalent that is occasioned by roads bearing several names given for different reasons and at different times.

Mayor Jiir also revealed plans to contract new private garbage collectors as DHIS the current contractor has failed to fulfil its contractual obligations 100%. He revealed that DHIS will only provide sanitation services within 26th June district while the new contractor/s shall be allocated Ga'an Libah and Kodbur districts.


Said he, "The final decision on new sanitation service contractor will be made during the forthcoming council session"

The municipality intent to name streets and enhance sanitation services has been welcome by all and sundry though it remains to be seen whether the chaotic traffic occasioned by haphazard parking of buses and tippers within the city centre will change.

http://somalilandsun.com/index.php/community/337-somaliland-hargeisa-roads-named-after-prominent-somalilanders


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