The Ga West Municipal Assembly in the Greater Accra Region has served notice that hawkers on the Oduman road will be relocated within two weeks.
The activities of the hawkers on the road supposedly contribute to the traffic congestion on the Amasaman – Pokuase-Accra stretch.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, April 19, 2021, the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Ga West, Clement Wilkinson, said the traders will be relocated soon, while a contractor gets ready to work on the Oduman road.
“We are moving the hawkers by the roadside to prepare a place for them on the other side of the road. I am sure in two weeks time, we would have finished that. For Oduman, because of the bad nature of the road, I spoke with the contractor, and she is getting ready to move to that road. I have also spoken to the Director of Highways, and he said he is going to talk with the engineers to come and fix the potholes”, he said.
Traffic
The plan follows Monday’s morning heavy traffic on the Amasaman-Pokuase road in the Greater Accra Region.
Commuters who plied the stretch were left agitated as they were forced to spend several hours in heavy traffic.
Many of the frustrated passengers were travelling to parts of the capital, Accra, but had to endure the gridlock as a result of a road diversion due to ongoing construction works on the stretch.
Senior lecturer at the University of Ghana and President of the University Teachers Association of Ghana (UTAG) chapter at the school, Dr. Harry Agbanu was one of the stranded persons.
Other motorists included Dadi FM’s Morning Show host, Abena Opokua, who also corroborated Mr. Agbanu’s report on the traffic situation.
They also cited the activities of street hawkers on the road, deep potholes on the stretch and the unmotorable state of an alternative route through Oduman, as the cause of the traffic jam.
Diversion
But Clement Wilkinson attributed the development to a road diversion that has been created to allow for the asphalting works on the Pokuase-Amasaman Interchange to be done.
“It’s because of a diversion. They are doing the asphalting on the ground of the Pokuase interchange. So there is a diversion which everyone must obey other than that the contractors can’t work, that is what is causing the traffic congestion. It is ongoing construction and there are signposts there and the drivers are aware”, he explained.
