On Saturday, the Accra Mayor, Michael Allotey, met with some street hawkers located at the Central Business District.

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His engagement came hours prior to a directive that would see the removal of traders selling on the streets and pavements in Accra on Tuesday, May 20.

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He questioned the hawkers over the current state of the Central Business District.

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“This morning, we are here for good, this is not just Accra, this is Ghana, and anyone who enters Ghana enters Accra. Look around, if this were your home, would you keep it like this?” he quizzed.

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Ahead of their forceful removal next week Tuesday, he entreated the traders to willingly evacuate.

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“Please leave the street. I’m begging you. When you leave the street, we can clean the city. We will come and demarcate the area so that three people can rotate in one space, each selling for eight hours.”

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The engagement spanned through the Kinbu Road, Kojo Thompson Road, Sempe Road, Swanzy Road, Guggisberg Avenue, Market Street, Okaishie Road, Kantamanto Street, Nsawam Road, Paa Grant Street.

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These are areas earmarked for clearance in the first phase of the exercise.

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Meanwhile, transport operators in Ghana have issued a stern warning to the government and the Ghana Police Service, demanding immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements.

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They have given authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. According to the operators, the growing encroachment of roads and pavements by traders poses serious safety risks and disrupts the free flow of traffic.

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Under Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), specific provisions prohibit trading activities that obstruct pedestrian and vehicular movement.

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These regulations are designed to ensure the safety and free flow of traffic on public roads and pavements.

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Under Regulation 117 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), it is an offence for any person to engage in trading activities in certain areas that pose a risk to public safety or obstruct the smooth flow of traffic.

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According to the law, a person shall not sell goods, display goods, offer goods for sale, or deliver goods as part of a sale on or alongside a road. A person shall also not sell or display goods on a pedestrian walkway. In addition, a person is prohibited from selling, displaying, offering for sale, or delivering goods within thirty metres of a railway level crossing.

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The law further prohibits such activities under a road traffic sign that indicates a blind corner or a rise. It is also an offence to engage in these trading activities within an intersection. Lastly, the law forbids trading on or alongside any road, including areas around a toll booth and a toll plaza.

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Any person who violates the above restrictions commits an offence. Upon summary conviction, the person is liable to pay a fine not exceeding fifty penalty units or serve a term of imprisonment not exceeding three months, or both.

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This regulation is designed to safeguard the safety of all road users and ensure that trading activities do not interfere with traffic or endanger lives.

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