Editorial: Accra Decongesting Exercise Must Also Address The Root Causes

According to a myjoyonline report, the Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey, has issued a final ultimatum to street traders operating illegally on pavements and busy roads in the capital, giving them until tomorrow Tuesday, 20 May, 2025 to vacate or face forcible removal. This comes in the aftermath of a similar exercise by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), which has stepped up efforts to decongest the Central Business District (CBD) of Kumasi, reported in today’s issue of The Chronicle.

Addressing the media at the AMA City Hall, Mr Allotey said the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) will no longer tolerate unauthorised street trading, which continues to pose safety hazards and contribute to urban congestion. He lamented how pavements, originally intended for pedestrian use, have become overrun by petty traders, creating unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Mr Allotey stressed that the exercise is not a witch-hunt but part of a broader initiative to decongest Accra and improve urban mobility.

The Chronicle is fully behind the ultimatum issued by the Mayor of Accra to street traders occupying pavements and roads in the capital, which signals yet another attempt to address the long-standing challenge of urban congestion and lawlessness in the Central Business District of the Capital. The Mayor’s message is direct: the streets are not for selling and the Assembly will no longer stand by as pedestrian walkways and roads are transformed into makeshift markets.

At its core, this exercise is commendable. Urban planning and orderly development cannot thrive in a city where pavements are choked with hawkers, forcing pedestrians onto dangerous roads and contributing to traffic chaos, sanitation issues and safety hazards. The Mayor’s pledge to make sure Accra is clean symbolises a vision of a city where order replaces chaos, and governance is not just rhetoric but action.

The AMA’s decision to begin enforcement in key commercial hotspots like Okaishie, Circle and Kaneshie is strategic, targeting areas where the problem is most pronounced. The inclusion of stakeholders like market women, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPLTU) and the police shows that the Assembly has not acted in isolation but rather has engaged in some level of consultation. These steps are vital in demonstrating that the approach is not punitive but rather part of a holistic plan to restore sanity to the city’s landscape.

The Chronicle believes the decongesting exercise to be embarked upon by the Mayor of Accra will go a long way to avert the nationwide strike action announced by Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) and Concerned Drivers Association of Ghana (CDAG) to begin today Monday, May 19, 2025. GPRTU and CDAG have threatened a nationwide strike action if provisions of the Road Traffic Regulations Act, 2012, which prohibits trading on roads, pavements and at designated bus stops are not enforced.

The Commercial transport operators have threatened to embark on industrial strike action today, if “concrete steps” are not taken to enforce the traffic regulation. The Deputy Secretary of CDAG, Asonaba Nana Wiredu, who disclosed this intention on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 has urged the government to take steps to enforce the provisions of the Act.

The Chronicle, however, holds the view that decongesting the city should also not come at the expense of the very citizens it is meant to protect. Enforcement without empathy has failed in the past. Numerous decongestion exercises have been rolled out under different administrations – but over time the traders return and the cycle repeats. This is because these exercises have often addressed the symptoms, not the root causes.

This time, we hope the Mayor’s promise is backed by a sustainable, long-term plan. We call on the AMA to ensure that any enforcement is carried out with respect for human dignity. Traders must be engaged, not bulldozed. Their concerns must be heard, not dismissed.

Ultimately, building a clean and modern Accra is a shared responsibility. Citizens, too, must understand that lawlessness in the name of survival endangers everyone. But the state must lead with fairness and compassion.

The Mayor has spoken. Now, we await not just action, but thoughtful and just execution.

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