By Jacob Aggrey
For many years, pedestrian safety has been a major problem in the Central Business District (CBD), as many traders continued to ply their trade on pavements and the shoulders of the road.
This posed serious dangers to pedestrians who used the pavements to enter the markets. However, today on the 8th April, 2024, I realized that these traders and their activities that I regularly disapproved of have come to a halt.
Per my enquiries, I gathered that the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) took major action to restore pedestrian mobility, protect public health, and promote environmental sustainability by clearing unauthorized traders operating along the frontiers of its Head Office and the surrounding areas.
This bold action, while raising eyebrows among some informal vendors, falls in line with a much larger commitment by the Assembly to advance Accra’s urban transformation agenda in line with its Climate Action Plan and other development blueprints.
For years, key walkways and pavements in the Central Business District (CBD) have been hijacked by traders, leaving residents and shoppers like me with no option but to navigate dangerous vehicular roads.
This unsanctioned takeover not only compromises the safety of pedestrians but also severely undermines efforts to promote walkability in the city, one of the core pillars of sustainable urban planning and climate resilience.
As part of its 2020 Climate Action Plan, the AMA has identified transportation, land use, and public health as priority areas for intervention.
Encouraging walking and reducing dependency on carbon-emitting vehicles are central to this agenda.
However, the encroachment of walking pathways by traders deters many residents from walking short distances, indirectly encouraging the use of commercial vehicles, increasing traffic, and escalating greenhouse gas emissions.
In time past, AMA greened the triangles around its Head Office and some open spaces in the CBD, but the activities of traders have had a dire effect on the green spaces.
The congestion in these market zones also contributes to a worrying rise in environmental health hazards.
Blocked pavements become breeding grounds for communicable diseases due to poor waste management and the accumulation of filth, further burdening the city’s already stretched sanitation infrastructure.
By reclaiming these walkways, the AMA is not only decongesting the city but also paving the way (literally and figuratively) for healthier, greener, and more inclusive public spaces.
This move aligns with its long-term urban greening initiatives, which seek to introduce vegetation and public seating areas within market enclaves to enhance both environmental quality and public well-being.
The Assembly is therefore calling on residents, traders, and all stakeholders to support this initiative, not as a punitive exercise, but as a collective action toward building the Accra we all desire: a clean, green, walkable, and resilient capital city.
Let us join hands with the AMA in shaping a new urban future, one where walkability is preserved, public health is prioritized, and the environment is respected. The transformation of Accra requires all of us. Let’s be part of the change.
