Just days after being evicted from unauthorised trading zones, some traders in Accra’s Central Business District have resumed operations in defiance of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) directives.
The traders say the lack of alternative means of livelihood has forced them back onto the streets, where they depend on daily sales to survive.
Following a major decongestion exercise earlier in the week, Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey conducted a follow-up inspection on Thursday, May 22, particularly around the Kwame Nkrumah Circle area, to monitor compliance.
“The way the vehicles are parked here makes the space congested. The way you arrange the cars leaves no space to move around. I am giving you until Monday. If there’s no change, I will remove everyone from here,” he warned some commercial drivers contributing to the congestion at Circle.
The situation at the Kaneshie footbridge, however, painted a different picture. The usually crowded walkways had been cleared, allowing for smooth pedestrian movement—a rare sight in recent years.
But at the heart of the Central Business District, conditions remained largely unchanged. Despite the AMA’s crackdown, traders had returned to pedestrian sidewalks, setting up stalls and goods on walkways.
“This is where we make a living, and we can’t afford to leave. I have lost weight for the past four days. There is no space available,” one visibly distressed trader shared.
“If they truly want to help us, they could build some barricades here to prevent us from spilling onto the road,” another suggested, proposing a more accommodating approach to the issue.
The AMA says it will continue to monitor and enforce regulations, but for many traders, the economic realities appear to outweigh the threat of eviction.
Accra decongestion exercise just a nine-day wonder – Zaato