In response to traders’ persistent refusal to vacate roadside selling areas, the Chief Executive of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), Michael Kpakpo Allotey has announced the reintroduction of the ‘Redline’ initiative.
The policy aims to restore the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians, while discouraging trading in unauthorized and illegal locations.
Despite repeated warnings from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), several traders continue to occupy pavements and road shoulders, impeding traffic and defying directives to relocate.
In light of this, the Mayor undertook a personal visit to the affected areas on July 15 to urge immediate compliance.
Many traders expressed frustration, highlighting the lack of permanent structures or designated shops for them to operate from. One trader made an emotional appeal to the Mayor: “Please, do not give the space to other people,” she pleaded, fearing displacement and uncertainty.
To address these concerns, the Mayor pledged to demarcate dedicated trading zones and explore the provision of affordable shops.
“We are trying to build small shops for the women to sell. We have an individual who says he would love to volunteer and build small shops that are affordable for the women to sell,” Mayor Allotey explained.
“But as it looks, the women say they don’t want it. As the Mayor, we ensure that what the people want, we do for them. From what we are seeing there, it is not a place where we can build something. It is not even a place to sell. As of now, they don’t have a shop. So, we are considering them to sell on the pavement. We are going to have a line for them, which you know about the Redline. So, we will do the Redline for them to sell,” he declared.
The ‘Redline’ initiative was first introduced by a former Mayor of Accra, Alfred Oko Vanderpuiye.
The AMA boss reaffirmed its commitment to creating a safer, more accessible marketplace while balancing enforcement with compassion and dialogue.
