According to a story published by citinewroom, the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA), working with military personnel, has commenced an operation to clear unauthorised commercial vehicle loading points and street trading activities along the stretch between the Bekwai Roundabout and the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) roundabout.
Per the story, the exercise has resulted in the confiscation of traders’ goods and the impounding of vehicles found loading and dropping off passengers along the road. It follows a final directive issued by the Assembly for commercial drivers operating around the hospital to vacate the area before November 1, 2026.
The operation seeks to restore free movement of traffic and improve access to KATH, where congestion frequently obstructs ambulances and other vehicles transporting patients. Although some commuters have welcomed the intervention, they have urged the Assembly to sustain it. Some affected drivers and traders have, however, expressed dissatisfaction with the exercise, highlighting the need for effective enforcement and lasting solutions.
The Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly deserves commendation for finally taking decisive action to clear the road corridor around the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) of unauthorised commercial vehicle terminals and street trading activities. This is a necessary intervention, and one that should have been enforced long ago. More importantly, it is a matter of public safety, not merely an attempt to beautify the city or improve traffic flow.
KATH is one of Ghana’s most important referral health facilities, serving patients from as many as 12 regions. It is therefore unacceptable that access to such a critical institution should be compromised by the activities of commercial drivers who have turned sections of the surrounding roads into loading and offloading points. An ambulance transporting a critically ill patient should not have to struggle through avoidable congestion before reaching a hospital. Every minute matters in an emergency, and the obstruction of emergency access can have serious consequences for patients.
The problem is also not new. In January 2026, reports indicated that the Bekwai-Santase dual carriageway project had stalled for nearly a year, causing considerable traffic difficulties and delays to emergency medical services. Although construction subsequently resumed, the experience underscores how vulnerable access to KATH is when traffic management and road infrastructure are inadequate.
We are particularly encouraged that the KMA has moved beyond warnings to actual enforcement. The presence of no-parking and no-stopping signs means little if motorists can disregard them with impunity. Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), provide for sanctions against unauthorised stopping, parking, boarding or alighting at prohibited locations. The law must be applied consistently, regardless of the identity or status of offenders.
However, the Assembly must understand that clearing the area is only the beginning. Kumasi has a history of decongestion exercises that produce temporary results before traders and drivers reclaim the cleared spaces. Indeed, in May 2025 the Kumasi Mayor acknowledged that about 80 per cent of previously cleared zones had been reoccupied. That admission should serve as a serious warning against treating this latest exercise as another short-lived campaign.
The KMA must, therefore, maintain regular monitoring, enforce the restrictions without favouritism and work closely with transport unions to ensure that drivers use authorised terminals. The designated taxi rank at the KATH Polyclinic’s Outpatient Department should be properly organised and communicated to passengers. Equally important, traders whose livelihoods are affected must be directed to suitable, accessible and properly organised trading spaces rather than simply driven from one pavement to another.
There must also be accountability in the enforcement process. The involvement of military personnel should support, rather than replace, professional civilian enforcement. Confiscations and impoundments must follow transparent procedures, with affected persons given clear information on retrieving their property.
Ultimately, the success of this exercise must be measured by whether the road remains accessible, pedestrians can move safely and ambulances can reach KATH without unnecessary delays. The Assembly must not allow this important intervention to become another temporary show of force. Kumasi needs a lasting solution, and KATH deserves nothing less.
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