Accra road infrastructure encroachment raises safety concerns

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has initiated stakeholder engagements to address the increasing encroachment on road pavements and infrastructure by petty traders in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and other major cities.

Traders occupying pedestrian walkways, bus stops, and road shoulders are exacerbating existing safety hazards, such as malfunctioning traffic lights, faded road markings, and poor driver behavior. This occupation forces pedestrians into traffic and compels drivers to park on road shoulders or both sides of major thoroughfares, leading to congestion and restricted vehicular movement.

Significant areas of concern include Accra’s Central Business District, Mallam Market, Kaneshie, the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, and the route from Kwabenya to Achimota Mall. Other notorious locations include Madina, Nima-Mamobi, Agbogbloshie, and Odorkor Tipper. The Graphic Road, particularly the stretch between the Farisco Traffic Light and the Obistebi Lamptey Interchange, has also become a major center for illegal trading activities that extend into the early morning hours.