The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) is set to designate selected streets within the metropolis for commercial activities during the Christmas season as part of measures to regulate trading and ease traffic congestion in the capital.
The initiative, dubbed “Operation Let the Traffic Flow,” will allow traders to operate within designated areas between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., providing them with opportunities to benefit from increased commercial activities during the festive period while ensuring the smooth movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, announced the proposed arrangements on Saturday, November 7, 2026, during activities marking the November edition of the National Sanitation Day.
He explained that the initiative is designed to accommodate the expected increase in trading activities during the Christmas season without allowing commercial activities to worsen congestion in the Central Business District (CBD) and surrounding communities.
According to him, the AMA is collaborating with other sister assemblies to implement the arrangements as part of broader efforts to maintain order and improve traffic management across the capital.
As part of the enforcement measures, Mr Allotey has directed traders operating at designated bus stops to vacate the areas immediately to allow public transport operators to use the spaces for their intended purpose.
He said traders who had appealed to the Assembly for additional time until Monday to relocate had been granted the extension but warned that the directive would be strictly enforced after the deadline.
The Mayor cautioned that goods left at the affected bus stops after the deadline would be confiscated and subsequently donated to a children’s home.
Mr Allotey, however, clarified that the Assembly is not seeking to completely drive traders off the pavements, explaining that those operating within officially demarcated trading areas would be allowed to continue their businesses.
He stressed that traders must ensure their activities remain within the prescribed boundaries and avoid extending their wares beyond the designated lines.
The Mayor urged traders to cooperate with the Assembly, emphasising that the restrictions were necessary to prevent the obstruction of public transport operations and ensure the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians.
The Operation Let the Traffic Flow initiative forms part of the AMA’s broader preparations for the Christmas festivities, a period traditionally associated with increased commercial activities and heavier traffic in Accra.
The Assembly is expected to use the designated trading arrangements and enforcement measures to balance the commercial interests of traders with the need to maintain an orderly, accessible and less congested city during the festive season.
Editorial note: The source script does not identify the specific streets to be closed or designated for trading. Those locations should be added once officially confirmed to give readers clear guidance.
By 1960news.com
