Yuletide fever grabs Accra

Accra, Dec. 21, GNA - The euphoria of Christmas has hit Accra, as an unusual traffic jams have slowed down vehicular movement dramatically throughout the Capital forcing some commuters to walk halfway to their destinations.

The enervating cloudless, hot and dry weather laced with haze has worsened the plight of commuters.

A tour of some part of the Capital by Ghana News Agency also revealed long queues at both the intra-city and inter-city lorry stations.

Some Drivers told the GNA that the heavy traffic was the result of the ongoing road construction works, especially the Tetteh Quarshie Interchange and the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to Achimota Road.

"These major roads serve as cardinal vehicular distribution arteries in the road network of Accra and any activity that impedes the free flow of traffic on them has its rippling effect on the general traffic situation," Mr Eric Obeng Wiafe, a Senior Officer of Ghana Post, stated.

He explained that because of the Christmas there was huge traffic inflow into Accra as many people were coming in to do their Yuletide shopping.

Some Commercial Drivers said they were now spending between one hour and two hours for a journey they usually covered in less than 30 minutes.

The Central Business District (CBD) is choked as traders, shoppers, vehicles, pickpockets, truck-pushers and potters struggled to outpace each other in their trade and attempted to attract either a client, a customer or a victim.

Hawkers have virtually taken over either a lane or two lanes of dual carriageways in the CBD pushing pedestrians and vehicles to struggle on the remaining space.

Security agencies have a lot to do to control pickpockets and those, who have majored in the snatching of mobile phones and handbags.