The newly commissioned Flower Pot Interchange has significantly eased traffic along the Spintex Road and improved connectivity to areas such as Tema, East Legon, Teshie and Cantonments. It has also brought much relief to the commuters.
But it has brought with it new challenges about the management of hawkers and traders who have long operated along the route. During the commissioning of the interchange, the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Titus Glover, issued a stern warning against hawking at the interchange.
The following day, after the commissioning of the edifice, a viral image of a young woman selling coconuts under the interchange appeared on social media. This negative development compelled the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Titus Glover, to take a decisive action. He went to the area to personally demolish the makeshift structures that had started springing up a few days after the commissioning ceremony, which was performed by the president himself.
While his methods have sparked mixed reactions, the underlying issue is a persistent one: the habitual disregard for public infrastructure in Ghana. This problem is not unique to the Flower Pot Interchange. Across the country, newly constructed roads, interchanges and pedestrian walkways are quickly overrun by hawkers, traders, and illegal structures.
It is almost as if the presence of new infrastructure signals a fresh opportunity for unregulated economic activity. This trend undermines the functionality, safety and beauty of these projects, wasting public investment and eroding the very purpose of development.
At the heart of the issue lies a bad attitude that views public spaces as free-for-all zones. Many Ghanaians rationalise such actions as a matter of survival, arguing that street vending provides income for those who lack formal employment. While this perspective cannot be entirely dismissed, it does not justify the chaos and disorder that hawking brings to public infrastructure.
Encroachment on spaces such as interchanges, road medians and pedestrian walkways poses significant dangers. First, it compromises safety both for the hawkers themselves and for commuters.
The median of a busy road is no place for a coconut stand or any other form of trade. Secondly, it creates avoidable congestion, negating the very purpose of the infrastructure. Thirdly, it signals a lack of respect for national development efforts, which depend on taxpayer’s money.
While Minister Titus Glover’s one-man demolition exercise drew criticism for its perceived harshness, his frustration reflects the challenges of leadership in a country where enforcement of regulations is often relaxed.
His proactive stance, albeit the drama, highlights a crucial point, that rules must be enforced if we are to preserve the functionality and beauty of public infrastructure.
However, enforcement must go hand in hand with proactive governance. Demolitions and arrests alone will not solve the problem. The government need to implement long-term solutions that will address both the socio-economic realities of street vending and the need for orderly urban spaces.
