No law for road-blocks in Accra

The Accra Mail says its search for the government agency responsible for issuing permits for road blockage in the Accra metropolis, has hit a dead end as the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Department of Urban Roads and the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), all denied responsibility.

The paper says the legislative instrument establishing the functions of the AMA shows that the assembly has not been empowered to issue permits for road-blocks. While officials of the Department of Urban Roads say they only provide road infrastructure and have nothing to do with revenue and issuance of permits, the Police MTTU categorically deny allegation that they have been issuing permits for road-blocks.

The Accra Mail says a social analyst whose opinion was sought, asserted that the AMA should empower the sub-metropolitan assemblies to enact bye-laws on road-blocks so that they operate within the law instead of hiding under discretionary power to circumvent the law.