Businesses nestled around the Addis Abeba Stadium are set for relocation, as the protracted renovation of the sports arena nears completion. Last week, law enforcement officers cleared the area where bikes and automobiles huddled in the parking space, following orders from the Ministry of Culture & Sports.
Officials at the Ministry have ambition to revamp the location’s image to sporting standards. In line with that, bars around the stadium are also poised for replacement when the renovation process is completed, which has fueled anxiety among business owners.
The Minister of Culture & Sports, Kejela Merdasa, indicated that bars are completely against the spirit of physical exercise and would be replaced by sport-oriented establishments.
“We hope the Ministry of Transport figures out what to do with the bicycle associations,” he told Fortune.
Four long-standing parking service associations that have operated in the area for around a decade have witnessed their daily incomes slashed since last week as the number of vehicles allowed to operate declined.
The area around the stadium has been home to informal driving instructors who have honed the skills of urbanites in the oval grounds for decades. Mulugeta Shere, who has been averaging a daily income of 2,000 Br over the years, has become paralysed with fear as the business neighbourhood he grew up in is rendered a relic of olden days.
“We can’t insist on anything because we’re unlicensed,” he said.
