The Minister for Local Government, Decentralisation, and Rural Development, Martin Adjei-Mensah Korsah, has attributed the persistent traffic congestion in cities across the country to activities of traders.

According to him, the inadequate implementation of traffic regulations is another contributory factor to the congestion.

He, therefore, gave the assurance that his office, in collaboration with other stakeholders, will enforce these regulations strictly.

“The issue is enforcement. If the road is constructed for free flow of movement, it has to be so, you cannot convert it to trading and so on. There are all kinds of things happening.

“Sometimes, I drive around town between midnight to 3 am to have a feel of the problems we are dealing with and you look at the quietness and the order on our roads. However, when day breaks it becomes another thing,” he stated.

He added, “Areas like Makola, Malata, Kaneshie or where markets or trading take over the streets, it is nonexistent at night. When the day breaks, the market is there but people move out onto the streets and drivers pack on the roads to load passengers. Those for me are issues of enforcement, the laws are there and our assemblies must use them to work.”

His statement comes after an Legislative Instrument was laid before Parliament in June seeking to amend portions of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 to allow Members of Parliament, Ministers, and judges to use sirens and drive without speed limits.

The L.I. was however withdrawn on Tuesday after public agitations.

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Speaking to the media during his tour of market project sites in Accra, Mr Korsah voiced his opposition to the Legislative Instrument allowing Members of Parliament, Ministers and judges to use sirens and exceed speed limits.

He asserted that no discussions would be held about the installation of sirens, however, road and traffic rules and regulations must be enforced.