The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has announced a GH¢1,000 Christmas package for traders in central Accra who comply with the designated red lines. Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey revealed the initiative on November 7, during the National Sanitation Day exercise. The package aims to encourage traders to stay within their designated spaces.
To ensure compliance, AMA task forces will conduct unannounced checks across the city centre. Traders who pass multiple inspections will be rewarded with the GH¢1,000 package. The checks will be carried out on three or four occasions to monitor traders' adherence to the directive. This move is part of the AMA's efforts to maintain order and cleanliness in the city.
In addition to the incentive, the AMA plans to close selected streets in the metropolis to traffic for holiday trading. The initiative, dubbed "Operation Let the Traffic Flow", is a joint festive traffic plan with the neighbouring Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly. The plan aims to manage seasonal congestion and provide alternative routes for motorists and pedestrians.
Under the arrangement, designated streets will be closed to vehicles and reserved for trading between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Korle Klottey Municipal Chief Executive Alfred Allotey Gaisie stated that planning between the two assemblies was about 80 per cent complete. Final technical assessments are underway before the specific streets and start dates are published.
Alongside the festive incentive, Mayor Allotey ordered hawkers operating inside bus stops across the Central Business District (CBD) to vacate immediately. The terminals are reserved strictly for commercial passenger vehicles. Traders who appealed for time to move their wares were given until Monday, November 9 to relocate.
Any goods left at bus stops after Monday's deadline will be confiscated by AMA task forces and donated to a children's home. However, traders on officially demarcated pavements may continue operating as long as they remain behind the red lines and do not obstruct commuters using public transport. Mayor Allotey assumed office as Mayor of Accra in May 2025.
The AMA's efforts aim to maintain order and cleanliness in the city, while also providing opportunities for traders to operate within designated spaces. The initiative is expected to bring relief to commuters and traders alike, as the city prepares for the festive season.
Key points
- Traders who comply with the designated red lines will receive a GH¢1,000 Christmas package.
- The AMA plans to close selected streets in the metropolis to traffic for holiday trading.
- Hawkers operating inside bus stops have been given until Monday, November 9 to relocate.
