The Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey, has stated that the Ghana Prisons Service will receive items seized from traders selling beyond boundaries in the ongoing decongestion exercise in the Central Business District of Accra.

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“Tomorrow, you are not going to have it this way. I will pack all these things for the prison when I come tomorrow. Today is your lucky day,” he stated.

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Speaking to the media on Tuesday, May 20, he noted that this is part of the measures to prevent vendors from trading on the streets.

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According to the Mayor of Accra, the 3-day decongestion exercise carried out by the Accra Municipal Assembly will persist until the roads are fully cleared of vendors occupying the pavements.

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He acknowledged that the ongoing activity is not a short-term measure but one that will remain in place.

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“This exercise is not a nine-day wonder; we are on the street till we make sure that the roads are clear. We are not done. For the next hour, we are going back to the street. From here we are going to Circle, and if there is more strength, we will go to Kaneshie. Then we continue tomorrow,” the mayor stated.

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Despite concerns by some of the traders who sought to counter the decongestion exercise, a section of the traders lauded the Accra Mayor and the AMA task force for undertaking the decongestion exercise in the Central Business District.

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“Thank you for the exercise. God bless you. These people are killing business. We rent expensive stores and pay AMA bills,” a trader stated.Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo, has cautioned the traders against returning to the streets. Speaking to the media after the exercise, she noted that culprits will pay a fine within the range of GHC1,500 and GHC2,000.

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“We are going to reactivate our task force so that they will be working 24 hours a day. They are going to draw red lines in between the roads so that when you cross the line. There’s a fee that you have to pay, GHC1,500, with a maximum of GHC2,000. So that next time, you wouldn’t cross the line,” she said.

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Amid the concerns raised by affected traders, the Greater Accra Market Association (GAMA) has declared strong support for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s ongoing decongestion campaign in the Central Business District (CBD).

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The first phase of the exercise launched on Tuesday, targeting areas around the AMA Head Office, including Kinbu Road to Railways, ECG Junction to the King Tackie Tawiah Statue, and Opera Square to Adabraka.

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Prior to the decongestion exercise yesterday, the Accra mayor engaged traders, urging them to leave the streets voluntarily.

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The issues of congestion compelled the transport operators to threaten a strike action against the government and the Ghana Police Service.

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They gave authorities until Monday, May 19, to act or face a nationwide protest. However, the strike action was not executed.

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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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They are demanding the immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), particularly those relating to trading on roads and pavements.

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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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