The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has arrested a 46-year-old coconut trader for allegedly using a designated bus stop along the Professor John Evans Atta Mills High Street near the Arts Centre as a storage and trading area.
The trader, identified as Emmanuel Awotwi, was picked up by an AMA enforcement team after more than 500 coconuts were found occupying a significant portion of the bus stop, obstructing its intended use.
The Assembly said Mr Awotwi had converted the bus stop, which is meant for vehicles to pick up and drop off passengers, into a space for storing and distributing coconuts without authorisation, despite previous public education and warnings against the misuse of public spaces.
Explaining the situation, Mr Awotwi said he transports coconuts from Takoradi to Accra for distribution to retailers operating around the Arts Centre area.
He said the coconuts are usually offloaded at night and shared among retailers, but on this occasion, he was unable to complete the distribution, leaving a large quantity at the bus stop until the enforcement team arrived the following morning.
According to the Assembly, the action violated the AMA’s Control of Hawkers By-law (2017), which prohibits traders from engaging in activities that obstruct or impede the free movement of pedestrians and vehicles.
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, expressed concern over the increasing practice of traders using bus stops, loading bays and other public transport facilities as storage and trading points.
He said such activities disrupt public transport operations, inconvenience commuters and contribute to congestion within the Central Business District.
The Mayor also raised concerns about the improper disposal of coconut husks by some traders, noting that the waste is often dumped into drains and along roadsides, contributing to sanitation challenges and blocked drainage channels.
He warned that such traders would face arrest and prosecution under the Assembly’s by-laws.
