Air pollution sickens traders at Tema station in Korle Klottey

Traders working at the Tema Lorry Station in Korle Klottey Municipality are worried about their health due to prolonged exposure to vehicle smoke. Health and environmental agencies warn that increasing air pollution could be causing respiratory ailments in the region. One trader, Joseph Kwaku Opoku, a 31-year-old shoemaker, has worked at the station for three years and spends six hours a day breathing in fumes from vehicles with engines running while parked or waiting for passengers.

He frequently suffers from chest tightness, colds, headaches, and high blood pressure, requiring frequent medication. Another trader, Ajaw Boakyewaa, a mother of two who sells wigs and women's hair products at the station for two years, also complains of colds, high blood pressure, eye irritation, and eye pain. Despite traders' repeated requests to drivers to switch off engines when vehicles are stationary, some drivers argue that the location is a lorry station and they're allowed to keep engines running.

Health authorities, including Dr. Robert Amissiya, the Regional Director of the Ghana Health Service, are implementing measures to address the situation and urge the public to avoid actions that worsen air pollution. They also recommend using nose masks as a protective measure. The municipality has seen an increase in respiratory illnesses in recent years, attributed partly to public education campaigns on the dangers of open burning.

The Environmental Health Department has installed pollution sensors and intensified education programs for drivers, traders, and residents about the health risks associated with vehicle emissions and open burning. Experts warn that prolonged exposure to vehicle emissions can lead to serious health issues, including cancer. The DVLA is reviewing its plans for emissions testing and aims to strengthen vehicle emissions testing to identify highly polluting vehicles and enforce appropriate action.