Accra Mayor Orders Arrest of Coconut Trader Blocking Bus Stop

Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) enforcement agents arrested 46‑year‑old coconut trader Emmanuel Awotwi after he stored more than 500 coconuts at a designated bus stop on Professor John Evans Atta Mills High Street near the Arts Centre. The trader had converted the bus stop, intended for passenger pick‑up and drop‑off, into an unauthorised storage and retail space, violating the AMA’s Control of Hawkers By‑law (2017) which prohibits obstruction of pedestrian or vehicle movement.

Accra Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey said the practice of using bus stops, loading bays and other transport facilities for trading disrupts public transport, inconveniences commuters and contributes to congestion. He also highlighted sanitation problems caused by discarded coconut husks, which are often dumped into drains and along roadsides, leading to blocked drainage channels and public‑health concerns.