Accra chokes as Christmas shoppers descend on city

Accra, Dec. 23, GNA - Accra is choking on tens of thousands of people from all walks of life who have descended on the city to shop for Christmas. The pedestrian pavements in the Central Business District are clogged by traders, shoppers, workers and pedestrians. Hawkers, shoppers and pedestrians have overflowed into the streets, narrowing the lanes as they compete with drivers for space.

As the city chokes, members of Task Force of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) in their green outfit stand helpless. On sale is every item that one can imagine, from toothpick through foodstuffs, cell phones, dresses, fabrics, shoes to electronics and household items.

And it is not only human traffic that is slow. Vehicular traffic is in most cases at a standstill in long traffic jams in steaming heat. Noise levels have also risen many times fold, not only from music of all sorts that fill the air but also from vendors who shout, ring bells and make all kind of noise to attract shoppers.

Generators are adding to the already high decibels as they buzz in areas where there is no electricity.

One direct result is that rubbish is piling up at various points as the

environment company, Zoomlion, struggles to cope with the growing refuse mountain. Pickpockets have been cashing in and traders have been shouting out warning messages to shoppers to guard their pockets and bags jealously. Beggars are making sure they are not left out of the Christmas bonanza.

They have positioned themselves at vantage points hoping shoppers will drop their "change" in their bowls.

There is brisk business although some vendors complain of low sales saying people only come to "window shop" and not actually to buy. In times past, the Christmas season meant new clothes, especially for children. However, some stores that sell children's clothes are complaining of slow business although it is "a little better than last year". They maintain that the prices of the clothing are the same as prior to Christmas. Those who sell wax print say prices have not increased and they are making more sales now than at the beginning of the year. Sellers of rice, oil, drinks, biscuits and others consumables are making more sales than their counterparts selling other wares which are not edible. Most people, it seems, are more interested in buying food items than

clothes or other wares. Traders are appealing to government to provide them with a good structure to sell their products to prevent them from being seized by the AMA Task Force.

Another problem that people are facing is the unavailability of buses to convey them to their various destinations. At the Opera Square Metro Mass Bus Station, many passengers are stranded. Some of told the GNA that they had been at the station since dawn and that no bus had come as at 1000 hours.

Most of them are residents of Accra who are travelling to their hometowns for the Christmas holidays.

The buses at that station go to places such as Kadjebi and Jasikan in the Volta Region and Asuom in the Eastern Region. Officials at the station said the delay in the arrival of the buses was

due the presence of armed robbers on the roads. This has prevented drivers from travelling at night to reach Accra early. As the annual ritual of Accra bursting its seams, city planners may have

to move back to the drawing board to make the various suburbs attractive to shoppers who believe items are cheaper in Accra and the vendors to accept to

ply their trade outside the Central Business District