Petty traders and hawkers increasingly occupy pedestrian walkways and road pavements across the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, raising road safety concerns that have led the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) to begin a stakeholder engagement to address the problem.
While malfunctioning traffic lights, broken road signs, faded road markings and reckless driving already contribute to road crashes and deaths, the encroachment of traders on walkways has worsened the situation. For more than a year, the Daily Graphic has documented traders displaying wares on pavements designated for pedestrians, pitching camps at bus stops, and forcing drivers to park on both sides of roads, which impedes traffic flow and endangers pedestrians.
In Accra’s Central Business District, the Mallam Market area, Kaneshie on the Dr Busia Highway, the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, and the stretch from Kwabenya to Achimota Mall are hotspots for such encroachments, overwhelming city guards and police. Other notorious sites include Odorkor Tipper, Madina, Nima‑Mamobi and Agbogbloshie. The Graphic Road, stretching from the Farisco Traffic Light on Kwame Nkrumah Avenue to the Obistebi Lamptey Interchange, is a particular epicentre, with traders setting up stalls from 8 p.m. until the early hours.
Police have had to deploy officers to direct traffic as commercial vehicles also benefit from the traders’ presence, leading to chaotic scenes where drivers stop mid‑road to load passengers and illegal U‑turns occur. Drivers such as Daniel Obeng, who runs a minibus between Accra and Kaneshie, explain that they park on shoulders because bus stops have been encroached upon by traders.
Traders like 39‑year‑old cassava dough seller Yaa Ntreh say the CBD is too congested for them to sell, so they choose high‑traffic areas to reach customers. Meanwhile, shoppers such as 27‑year‑old Adamu Rufai warn that walking from Accra Brewery to the COCOBOD road is risky because drivers can knock pedestrians down when pavements are occupied.
Encroachment on road infrastructure is a major factor in pedestrian knockdowns, which account for 33 per cent of deaths from reported road crashes, according to the NRSA. Over the past 35 years, 63,599 people have died in road crashes in Ghana, with 20,988 deaths resulting from pedestrian knockdowns.
The new Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153) prohibit selling goods on roads and pedestrian walkways, imposing fines of up to 50 penalty units (≈GH¢600) and imprisonment for offenders.
As the NRSA moves forward, stakeholders are urged to collaborate on enforcing the new regulations and restoring safe pedestrian pathways across Accra and other major cities.
