The Accra Metropolitan Assembly [AMA], has warned hawkers and traders within the metropolis to stay off pavements, footbridges and other unauthorized areas as it carries out a massive decongestion exercise today [Monday].
The Assembly, in a notice to the traders in December 2017, said their activities at thees unauthorized areas affects vehicular and human traffic, and also contributes seriously to the heaps of garbage found along major roads in the capital.
Today’s decongestion exercise, which will be spearheaded by the Metropolitan Security Committee, will focus on areas such as the Central Business District, Kaneshie Market Area, N1 highway, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and along the Odorkor – Kwashieman road.
The AMA indicated that the activities of the traders and hawkers were against the AMA hawkers bye-law of 2011, and section 117(1) of the road traffic regulations, 2012(L.I.2180).
Meanwhile, the President of the Greater Accra Market Association (GAMA), Mercy Needjan, has declared her outfit’s support for the decongestion exercise.
According to her, although the enforcement of the laws would cause some inconvenience to some traders, it would benefit the general populace, adding that; “this is a task that must be undertaken at all cost.”
During a special interaction with the Coordinating Director of the AMA, Sam Ayeh-Datey last week, Madam Needjan urged the AMA and the Police to force traders who have abandoned their sheds in various markets and are selling on the streets to go back into the markets, as they were in violation of Article 117 of the Law.
-citifmonline.com