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08.09.2008 Regional News

Noise-making: A dilemma of Accra

08.09.2008 LISTEN
By Naa Bettey Nelson - Ghanaian Chronicle

Noise-making in the capital Accra, has grown to unbearable proportions, with churches and sellers of music compact discs (CDs) and cassettes, being the biggest culprits.

The Accra File has noticed that most producers of music have adopted a new style, in the selling and promotion of musical discs/cassettes, which is becoming a public nuisance with its accompanying cacophony of noise.

These musicians organise some young men, hire vans and pickups, put in generators with large speakers, and play their music with the volume turned to the maximum, all in an attempt to promote and sell their productions.

This does not only cause a public nuisance with the noise, but also cause traffic chaos with their indiscriminate parking and distracting music.

This has resulted in a number of road accidents, especially on the Darkuman road leading to the motorway. These sellers line up in their numbers on some parts of the road, with their products in different vehicles, disturbing the whole atmosphere.

Information reaching the Accra file indicates that these noises also distract the attention of drivers.

These mobile music sellers, in the process of doing business, drive very slowly in the middle of the road holding up traffic, and when their attention is drawn to the inconvenience they are creating, they rather hurl insults and taunts on other drivers, who are caught up in the situation, and dare to complain.

On why they did not display their cassettes and CDs in shops, as was in the past, some complained about the low patronage in the shops and the fact that there was more competition in the business, so they had to come up with other ways of advertising and selling their products.

“There are so many different musicians in town, and we need to make money, so we must maintain that,” he added.

Some also say when the products are in the shops, since they are not played, they are not recognised, and people find it difficult buying them, so they do not sell.

Some sources in the metro assembly told The File that there was a law covering noise levels and especially where these mobile music sellers could operate – market places and lorry stations – yet you are sure to find them even in the residential areas,

These people have ignored the law but rather move about disturbing the city, as well as being an inconvenience to residents.

But are we to sit and watch these musicians and their sellers do business on the streets of Accra? No, the police should intervene and do something about all this noise with its accompanying traffic holdups.

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