Traders selling on the streets and pavements in Accra have until Tuesday, May 20, to vacate, according to the Mayor of Accra, Michael Allotey.Addressing the media at the AMA City Hall, the Mayor of Accra warned that individuals who flout the directive will be sanctioned by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA).“As the mayor of Accra, I cannot allow this to continue. Starting on Tuesday, we will begin the exercise. Please understand, we are not targeting anyone personally.

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“We ask you, please, to move before we arrive. This is a promise I intend to keep. If by Tuesday you have not moved, we will have no choice but to remove you,” the mayor added.According to Mr. Allotey, the exercise forms part of the Mahama-led administration's agenda to improve urban mobility as well as decongest the City. “There’s no time for empty promises,” the mayor declared. “From the day I took office, I made a commitment to myself: ‘I’ll make sure my car is clean.’ It’s a personal promise, but today, I am making that promise to all of us. The streets are not for selling. They are places for cars, not for trade.”“The pavements have become overcrowded, and now they occupy almost half of the streets. If I wait for something bad to happen, they might even turn against the mayor of this city,” he added.The Minister revealed that the decongestion exercise will begin from Okaishie through Circle and Kaneshie. “We are not removing traders simply because we have the power to do so. Our goal is to keep the city clean,” he said. “We have consulted with market women, the GPRTU, and the police. We are doing this to improve conditions for everyone,” he noted.Also, in some parts of the country, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) embarked on a decongestion exercise in the Central Business District (CBD) in April this year.

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The Chief Executive of the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly, Richard Ofori Agyemang Boadi, issued a stern caution to traders operating on the pavements.

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“Kumasi should expect cooperation, discipline. There is a lot of indiscipline in our metropolis. In all humility, I am going to ensure strict compliance with the Assembly to the by-law that manages our city. If you are selling on the pavement, adjust yourself."

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“If you are in the middle of any dual carriageway road, especially within the central business district, please get out of the place. Because from Wednesday, we will get on the street and make sure that we clear Kumasi from all the filth that we see."

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“With the decongestion, we will not apply the forces of military men. Everybody wants to sell at Adum, so we will find some ingenious way to keep them in Adum and decongest Adum,” he said.Before the exercise, vehicular movement in the area was at a standstill, as some traders sold their items in the middle of the streets, preventing pedestrians and vehicles from barely moving freely.

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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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