The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has begun an exercise to rid hawkers and traders off pavements and footbridges in the metropolis as part of efforts to decongest the city. 

The AMA served notice of the decongestion exercise last week.

The Assembly says the activities of the traders and hawkers impede the flow of vehicular and human traffic and contribute to the heaps of garbage along major streets of the metropolis.

The AMA indicated that the activities of traders and hawkers are against the AMA hawkers bye-law of 2011, and section 117(1) of the road traffic regulations, 2012(L.I.2180).

Monday’s exercise, being spearheaded by the Metropolitan Security Committee – a team comprising of the police, military and the AMA taskforce – will be carried out at the Central Business District, Kaneshie Market Area, N1 highway, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange and along the Odorkor-Kwashieman road.

Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah, has said the decongestion will be sustained.

“We are encouraging all the hawkers and the petty traders to move back inside the markets. We want to fashion out a strategy to be able to sustain it,” the Mayor had said.