The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has directed traders and hawkers occupying unauthorised bus stops across the metropolis to vacate the areas within 48 hours ahead of an enforcement exercise.
The directive is aimed at restoring order and ensuring the proper use of public spaces, particularly designated bus stops reserved for vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers.
In a statement signed by the Head of Public Affairs of the AMA, Gilbert Nii Ankrah, the Assembly said the decision followed concerns raised by commercial drivers over the obstruction of designated stopping points by traders.
According to the Assembly, the occupation of bus stops by hawkers obstructs the movement of vehicles and pedestrians, contributes to traffic congestion and creates safety risks for commuters.
It noted that the situation forces passengers to board and alight from vehicles at unsafe locations, thereby increasing the risk of road accidents.
The AMA disclosed that the Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, had already initiated enforcement measures, leading to the removal of traders occupying unauthorised spaces at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Achimota and parts of the Central Business District (CBD).
The Assembly is now urging all hawkers and traders operating at designated bus stops to immediately cease trading and vacate the affected locations.
It warned that enforcement would be intensified against individuals who fail to comply with the directive, in accordance with the Assembly’s by-laws.
The AMA also cautioned traders against returning to locations that have already been cleared, warning that anyone found reoccupying the spaces would face further enforcement action, including prosecution.
Read the statement below:
