The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) task force, led by officers of the National Security and the Police, continued its decongestion exercise on Wednesday, 21 May, at the busy Circle Neoplan, as part of its continued efforts to reduce congestion in the city.

The operation, which marked Day 2 of the city-wide campaign, focused on clearing unauthorised structures, removing street vendors, and enforcing sanitation and traffic regulations in the area.

The Environmental Health Officer in charge of operations at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly(AMA), Joseph Asitanga told JoyNews that the demolition was necessary due to the unlawful conversion of the space into a commercial and residential area.

“What is happening here is that this place is a bus stop. The construction was made for the purposes of passengers to stop and transit, but the whole place has been converted into a commercial activity,” he explained. “Supermarkets have taken over the place and there is virtually no access for any human being to stop and pick a bus.”

Mr Asitanga also raised concerns about public safety, particularly in relation to illegal electricity connections and the use of the area as a place of residence.

“Illegal connections are a major problem here. Who connected them? They converted the place into a place of abode with mattresses and all that. You can imagine the electrical system there. And at the end of the day, if there is any fire outbreak, they turn to say they’ve been here for 20 years, meanwhile, they have been cautioned not to be,” he said.

He said the AMA had issued clear instructions that all bus stops across the city must be cleared and maintained for public transport use, in line with sanitation and safety standards.

“The major sanction is that all the bus stops must be made free for passengers to use. All the sanitation conditions must be met to the standard of AMA. That is the essence of us being particularly at Circle Neoplan, and we are going to replicate it at all the bus stops where people have converted them into trading activities.”

Mr Asitanga urged those affected to remove their belongings peacefully.

“It is better that they take their personal belongings to a safer place where they can have access to them. But for here, the whole stretch of the bridge to the end of the Circle roundabout, we are out for them until they leave this place.”

He added that the AMA had conducted sensitisation campaigns in Accra Central and around the Circle area ahead of the exercise.

“Nobody allowed them to be here. We did a sensitisation all over Accra Central and here. The work is phase by phase, and we are tackling here now,” he said.