Road infrastructure encroachment fuels pedestrian knockdowns
The increasing encroachment on road pavements and other infrastructure by petty traders and hawkers within the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and other large cities continues to raise road safety concerns, prompting the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) to start a stakeholder engagement to address the menace.
Road encroachments by petty traders and hawkers in Ghana's urban areas have worsened road safety conditions, leading to frequent pedestrian knockdowns. The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has launched a stakeholder engagement to tackle the issue, alongside other factors like malfunctioning traffic lights and driver behavior.
Traders often display their merchandise on designated pedestrian walkways and bus stops, forcing drivers to park on road shoulders and creating hazardous conditions for pedestrians. Notorious areas include Accra's Central Business District, the Mallam Market, Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, and Kwabenya. Over the past 35 years, pedestrian knockdowns have accounted for 33% of road crash fatalities, with over 20,000 deaths reported.
The new Road Traffic Regulations prohibit selling goods on roads and pedestrian walkways, with offenders facing fines up to 50 penalty units.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
