AMA determine to enforce by-laws

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) on Tuesday affirmed its commitment to enforce by-laws on street hawking in the metropolis.

The AMA is now collaborating with officials of the Regional Police Command to enforce road safety by-laws and drive hawkers away from the principal streets and pavements.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency, the AMA Public Relations Officer, Numo Blafo, said the AMA was working under the guidance of a 2011 street hawking by-law.

"The Police Service on the other hand, is collaborating with the enforcement of a 2012 Road Traffic Regulation (LI2180) to ensure that we attain a clean and safe capital city," Mr Blafo said.

He said hawkers continued to show indignation and frustration against the decongestion exercise but acknowledged that it was unfortunate some of them end up losing some of their goods in the confiscation process.

He however, insisted that the law must be obeyed by all and no one could be excused from it.

"The AMA is therefore calling on the media to support its effort in cleaning the city whilst appealing to the public to cooperate as the exercise is intended for the interest of all," Mr Blafo said.

Mr Emmanuel Nimo, a coconut seller at Accra Central, described the decongestion exercise as pointless but revealing, because the situation had thrown more light on how the nation had failed to plan its cities.

“If each of our regional capitals had at least one functioning factory to employ our youth, Accra would not be chocked by so many young people from all over the country standing by roadsides hustling to sell,” he said.

A tour of some of the principal streets around Makola Market, Tema Station, Professor John Evans Atta Mills High Street, Kinbu Inter-section, Tudu and around the railway station indicate that the hawkers had adopted the "wait and see attitude".

Some of the hawkers expressed optimism that "the exercise would be a nine day wonder, we will comeback to do business.