Accra, April 20, GNA – The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has impounded 10 trucks in the Central Business District (CBD) for non-adherence to its regulation of offloading within the authorised stations, as part of an ongoing decongestion exercise to ensure sanity in the area.
The trucks were impounded when Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, accompanied by Nii Adjei Tawiah, the Korle Klottey Municipal chief Executive, led a team to assess hotspots in the CBD noted for causing heavy vehicular traffic.
The exercise began from Kingsway through to Railways bus stop, Kantamanto, Rawlings Park and Makola.
In an engagement with shop owners, traders and commercial drivers, the AMA boss said the activities of those trucks, the operation of unauthorised taxi ranks, the use of bus stops as trading points and stations as well as traders who had moved beyond permitted areas were major contributing factors to the congestion in the area.
Mr Sowah said heavy vehicular and human traffic had become a nuisance hence the seizure of the vehicles.
He asked the traders to also comply with the rules and regulations on trading in the enclave to avoid being arrested as the AMA would begin strict enforcement in the coming days.
“Sometimes I pass here and realise that you have taken part of the street, which is not right. We must abide by the rules and regulations and do the right thing so that we can all operate in peace. Let us all learn to do what is right,” he said.
Mr Sowah said the AMA would continue with its monitoring of the principal streets of Accra to ensure activities of drivers and traders, which impeded the free-flow of traffic, were curtailed.
“The information vans of the Assembly had intensified public education ahead of a decongestion exercise, which would be embarked on jointly with our sister assemblies and the Motor Transport Traffic Directorate to enforce the Road Traffic Regulations, Act 2180,” he said.