The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced plans to designate selected streets in the metropolis for trading from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ahead of the Christmas festivities under an initiative dubbed “Operation Let the Traffic Flow.”
The initiative is expected to provide traders with designated spaces to operate during the festive season, while allowing traffic to flow as the AMA intensifies efforts to manage congestion in the Central Business District and adjoining areas.
The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, announced the proposed arrangements on Saturday, November 7, 2026, during activities to mark the November edition of the National Sanitation Day, explaining that assemblies were working to accommodate the anticipated increase in trading activities during the Christmas period without compromising traffic movement.
He said the initiative, which was being implemented in collaboration with other sister assemblies, was intended to strike a balance between the economic needs of traders and the need to maintain order and accessibility in the city.
On enforcing trading restrictions, the Mayor directed traders operating at bus stops to vacate the areas immediately, stressing that the locations were strictly reserved for public transport operations.
He said traders who had earlier appealed for an extension until Monday had been given additional time to relocate, but cautioned that goods left at the bus stops after the deadline would be confiscated and donated to a children’s home.
The Mayor clarified that the Assembly was not seeking to remove all traders from the pavements, explaining that those operating within designated, demarcated areas would be permitted to continue trading, provided they remained behind the prescribed lines.
He urged traders to comply with the directive, noting that the restrictions were necessary to ensure the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians and to prevent the obstruction of public transport operations.
He reminded traders that maintaining clean surroundings was a condition for conducting business, stating that those who cleaned their areas could trade, while those who failed to do so would not be permitted to operate.
The Mayor reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting traders and improving their livelihoods, assuring them that the assemblies were working to create an environment where businesses could grow and become more profitable.
The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, Hon. Alfred Allotey Gaisie, who also addressed the traders, said the two assemblies were working together to ensure that the proposed trading arrangements were implemented in a coordinated manner.
The MCE said the proposed street closures would focus on roads where trading activities were already intense, rather than streets that were essential for uninterrupted traffic movement.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
