By: Benjamin Nii Nai Anyetei
The Mayor of Accra, Michael Kpakpo Allotey, on Monday, September 8, 2025, led a special taskforce from the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to remove unauthorised billboards, banners, and advertising materials mounted on the Kaneshie footbridge.
The operation forms part of the Assembly’s “Reset Accra” agenda, which seeks to beautify the city, decongest trading spaces, and improve public safety.
Speaking during the exercise, thee Mayor said the Assembly would not tolerate the misuse of public spaces, stressing that billboards and posters placed on pedestrian walkways endangered lives.
“The proliferation of unauthorised billboards and posters along major walkways not only obstructs visibility but also poses potential hazards to pedestrians,” he said. “Such practices will no longer be tolerated on public infrastructure, especially footbridges meant to provide safe crossing for pedestrians.”
The Mayor added that similar enforcement actions would be rolled out across all sub-metros, insisting that advertisers must comply with the required permit regulations before mounting signage.
Mayor Allotey also directed the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service not to allow vehicles to park or load under the Kaneshie footbridge.
“These activities contribute to congestion and compromise public safety. We must restore discipline in the use of public spaces,” he warned.
He clarified that the enforcement exercise was not aimed at traders or transport operators but rather at protecting lives and improving the flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
As part of the visit, Mayor Allotey engaged market women at the Kaneshie Market and announced government’s plans to establish a Women’s Bank to provide financial support and credit facilities to empower female traders.
He encouraged the women to support the Assembly’s work by observing sanitation by-laws.
“Maintaining a clean market environment is critical to public health and will enhance the market’s attractiveness to shoppers,” the Mayor told them.
The “Reset Accra” programme has seen AMA intensify efforts in sanitation enforcement, city beautification, and decongestion campaigns in recent months.
