The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it has not given up on decongestion in the metropolis as media reports suggest.

“It must be taken with all certainty that the AMA has absolutely not given up and does not have any intention whatsoever to give up on traders who, for their private parochial private interests, have hijacked our public spaces such as roads, pavements, pedestrian walkways, and streets meant for pedestrians and vehicles in the city,” a statement issued by Mr Sam Ayeh-Datey, Metro Co-ordinating Director of AMA has said.

According to him, the activities of the hawkers are still considered illegal and unapproved since they pose enormous challenges to the ordinary citizens of the city.

He explained that AMA would never renege on its responsibilities of ensuring public safety in market areas no matter how much it costs.

Mr Ayeh-Datey noted that a public-private partnership arrangement to construct and rehabilitate 13 markets to modern status have reached advanced stage.

He stated that AMA has always been committed to ensuring that each street and pavement is safe for commuters as evident in its recent recognition by Bloomberg Foundation, for which Accra was selected as one of the resilient cities in the world.

“The AMA humbly urges its stakeholders to support its effort in making Accra a better place for all,” he said.

Mr Ayeh-Datey said hawkers block walkways of pedestrians, thereby forcing pedestrians to walk on the roads, which exposes them to all forms of motor accidents.

He stated that the activities of hawkers create unnecessary congestion in the city, for which miscreants and rogues utilise as safe haven to steal and harass innocent citizens.

He explained that apart from the huge volume of refuse they generate on daily basis, hawkers cause serious traffic congestions in the city, and there is enough evidence for well-meaning Ghanaians to see.

Mr Ayeh-Datey stated that most of the hawkers have at least a shop or stall in some of the markets but have deliberately refused to operate in their shops but rather on the street and pavements.