The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has cautioned traders and the general public against paying money to city guards, building inspectors, or intermediaries during the ongoing decongestion exercise in the Central Business District (CBD).
The warning was issued on Monday as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) commenced full enforcement of its decongestion programme, aimed at clearing trading and other activities from restricted road shoulders and pavements under the Red Line policy.
The operation, which officially began on February 1, started at around 7:00 a.m. and continued until approximately 5:00 p.m. The AMA task force moved through major commercial corridors, starting from the Assembly’s premises at Kinbu, then the CMB area near the Central Police Station, UTC, Rawlings Park, the Law School enclave, and ending around the Cocoa Board median near the Farisco traffic light.
Leading the exercise, Mayor Allotey stressed that government land and approved trading spaces were not for sale. He warned that anyone extorting money from traders in the name of the operation would face legal action.
He further cautioned that goods displayed on the wrong side of the red line were liable to seizure, and offenders could be prosecuted at the sanitation court and fined according to the law.
The Mayor emphasised that the exercise is not intended to permanently displace traders but to restore order, improve public safety, and enhance the appearance of the city.
“Our focus is to stop trading on roads and pavements, reduce refuse accumulation in busy commercial areas, and ensure public spaces are used for their designated purposes,” he said.
Mr. Allotey also warned against attempts to use vulnerability or hardship as grounds for non-compliance, stressing that the rules apply equally to all traders operating along restricted corridors.
He reiterated that the decongestion exercise will be sustained as part of broader efforts to make Accra cleaner, safer, and more orderly.
