Accra traders given four-day ultimatum to vacate walkways ahead of major decongestion drive

Petty traders, hawkers, and other encroachers occupying roads and pedestrian walkways in Accra have been given a four-day deadline to vacate these spaces or face legal consequences.

This announcement comes ahead of a citywide decongestion exercise set to begin on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.

The warning was issued by the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Michael Kpakpo Allotey, during a press briefing in the capital. He explained that the operation is part of a broader government reset agenda designed to restore order and ensure functionality within the capital's urban systems.

“All persons who were occupying footbridges for trading purposes would be cleared to make those facilities accessible to pedestrians,” he stated. He added that unauthorized structures, including kiosks and containers mounted on road shoulders, would be removed.

“As the mayor of Accra, I have made a solemn promise to make Accra clean. I want members of the public to know that the streets are not for selling; it is for cars to move freely; so no one should be trading on the street," Mr. Allotey warned.

“And for those who are illegally selling on the Kaneshie and other footbridges, I make it clear to you that from Tuesday (May 20), we are coming after you. We will not allow you to continue to turn that pedestrian bridge into a market,” he stressed.

The AMA, working in collaboration with the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly (KOKMA) and the Accra Regional Police Command, will deploy a joint task force on May 20 to implement the decongestion.

Street hawking remains a persistent problem in Accra, especially in areas such as the Central Business District (CBD), Graphic Road, Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, Okaishie, and Agbogbloshie. The phenomenon often results in heavy traffic congestion and forces pedestrians onto roads, increasing the risk of accidents. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) attributes 60% of road crash fatalities to pedestrian knockdowns, many of which occur in these congested areas.

Mr. Allotey emphasized that the ongoing misuse of road infrastructure is detrimental to national development and must be addressed firmly. He announced that the clean-up operation will be followed by a comprehensive sanitation campaign, which will include the strategic placement of waste bins to reduce littering.

“There will be different refuse bins for paper, bottles and other forms of waste. We will not just clear the people and leave the area like that,” he said.

Alfred Gaisie, MCE for Korle Klottey, also spoke at the briefing, pledging that the joint operation with the Ghana Police Service would be sustained beyond the initial clean-up.

“We are going to take the bull by the horn in this matter. We will not tolerate any misbehaviour because the streets of Accra are not meant for hawking,” he asserted.

He called on traders to heed the directive and clear the roads voluntarily, warning that those who defy the ultimatum “would be moved by force.”