Commercial transport operators have requested that the Ghana Police Service and relevant authorities immediately take action to remove traders who have occupied pavements, roads, and bus stops for commercial purposes
The drivers have given an ultimatum to the government and city authorities to deal with the situation before May 19, 2025, or they will declare a nationwide strike.
Public Relations Officer for the True Drivers Union, Yaw Barima, noted that they want Legislative Instrument 2180 to be enforced without fear or favour.
Speaking on Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, he warned that they will stage a nationwide strike on May 19 if urgent measures are not taken to address the surge in street trading on roads, pavements, and bus stops.
He lamented that the current situation, where traders have taken over pavements, roads and bus stops and are selling, is hindering the activities of drivers.
The law bars the selling or hawking on our roads, pedestrian walkways or pavements, tollbooths, railway crossings, and traffic lights.
“The law is clear on these things, but some traders and hawkers have refused to obey these laws and are selling indiscriminately. It is for this reason we are encouraging authorities to enforce the law and prosecute these persons by prosecuting them so they will be either fined or jailed in accordance with the law. So as drivers, we have submitted our petitions to Transport, Roads, Interior, Local Government and Greater Accra Regional Ministries.
When drivers lose control and drive through these individuals, they are sent to court, jailed or heavily fined. You will recount the situation in Ashaiman where a driver failed to brake and gave an alert, but nobody moved, and unfortunately he drove into some traders and is currently serving a jail term in Nsawam Prison. Another one was recently fined Ghc18,000 in a similar situation. This would not have happened if these traders were punished for selling on our roads, pavements, and other unauthorised places.”
He told host Kwabena Agyapong that “if the government fails to deal with this situation, we will embark on a strike action. No car will move. We have no space to park at our bus stops or move with ease on our roads because these traders have taken over our roads illegally. We can no longer entertain this reckless mess and road galamsey.
The traders who sold on pavements breached the Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 2180 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012. The L.I. states that “a person shall not sell, display, offer for sale or deliver pursuant to a sale, goods on or alongside a road.”
It further posits that “a person shall not sell within 30 metres of a railway level crossing or under a road traffic sign denoting a blind corner.”
By: Raunbowradioonline.com/Ghana
