The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has given traders and hawkers occupying unauthorised bus stops across the metropolis 48 hours to vacate, ahead of an intensified enforcement exercise. The directive follows complaints by commercial drivers that traders are obstructing designated stopping points, disrupting transport operations and forcing passengers to board and alight at unsafe locations. The Assembly says the practice contributes to traffic congestion, obstructs pedestrian movement and exposes commuters to road accidents.
Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has already initiated clearance operations at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Achimota and parts of the Central Business District. The AMA has warned that traders who disregard the directive or return to cleared locations will face sanctions, including prosecution under its by-laws. The Assembly says the exercise forms part of efforts to restore public order, improve road safety and ensure the proper use of public spaces.
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) 48-hour ultimatum to traders and hawkers occupying unauthorised bus stops is a necessary intervention that deserves public support. However, the success of this exercise must not be measured by the number of traders removed or structures dismantled, but by whether the Assembly can permanently restore order and make Accra’s public spaces safe and accessible.
Bus stops are not trading centres. They are essential components of the urban transport system, designed to facilitate the orderly movement of vehicles and passengers. When traders occupy these spaces, commercial drivers are compelled to stop at inappropriate locations, while commuters are exposed to moving traffic as they struggle to board or alight from vehicles. Pedestrians, particularly children, older persons and persons with disabilities become even more vulnerable when designated walkways and stopping points are obstructed.
The Accra Road Safety Report released in 2025 recorded a 34 per cent increase in road traffic fatalities in the capital in 2024, with pedestrians accounting for more than half of the deaths. The National Road Safety Authority also reported that pedestrian knockdown deaths nationwide increased from 590 in 2024 to 704 in 2025. These figures should compel city authorities to treat pedestrian infrastructure as a public safety necessity rather than expendable commercial space.
We, therefore, consider the AMA’s decision to reclaim designated bus stops at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Achimota and parts of the Central Business District a step in the right direction. The Assembly has a responsibility to enforce its by-laws and protect public infrastructure from unauthorised occupation. Indeed, the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936), provides district assemblies with the authority to make by-laws and address obstructions and nuisances in public spaces.
However, the recurring nature of Accra’s decongestion exercises raises an uncomfortable question: why must the city repeatedly clear spaces that should never have been occupied in the first place? Previous enforcement operations, including the introduction of the AMA’s Red Line Policy in February 2026, demonstrate that the problem is not necessarily a lack of announcements or clearance exercises. It is the difficulty of sustaining enforcement after the initial publicity has faded.
The Assembly must therefore resist the temptation to treat this 48-hour ultimatum as another isolated campaign. It needs a properly resourced monitoring team, regular inspections and consistent sanctions against offenders, irrespective of their status or political connections. Enforcement must also extend to those who facilitate illegal occupation or collect unauthorised payments from traders. Selective enforcement will only undermine public confidence.
Equally important is the need to recognise the economic realities of informal trading. Thousands of people depend on street commerce for their livelihoods. While economic hardship cannot justify obstructing public transport infrastructure, the Assembly must ensure that its decongestion policies do not simply transfer the problem from one location to another. It should work with market authorities and trader associations to identify available trading spaces, improve existing markets and establish transparent arrangements for allocating approved vending locations.
The AMA must also improve the design and maintenance of bus stops, provide clear markings and ensure that pedestrian walkways remain accessible. Commercial drivers, too, must respect designated stopping points and avoid picking up passengers indiscriminately along the road.
Ultimately, a well-managed Accra cannot be achieved through forceful clearances alone. It requires planning, discipline, public education and sustained accountability. The Assembly must demonstrate that its commitment to reclaiming public spaces is a permanent urban management policy, not a temporary show of authority.
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