A section of the Accra-Cape Coast highway near the Mallam Market has been overtaken by traders, creating major inconvenience for motorists and pedestrians who ply the busy stretch on daily basis.During a visit to the market, The Ghanaian Times observed brisk trading both inside and outside, with a number of locked shops and empty stalls suggesting that some traders had abandoned their spaces in favour of the pavement.Traders, mostly selling foodstuffs and other merchandise, have extended their trading activities beyond the market, displaying their goods on pavements, road shoulders, and even occupying one lane of the three-lane road.Vehicles parked on theside of the market roadContainer being carried in the middle of the road at Mallam marketFootbridge left unused at the marketHeavy traffic on the Mallam market roadVehicles parked on the side of the market roadThis situation compel vehicles and pedestrians to compete for space, particularly during peak hours and market days with the congestion which further exacerbated by the irregular parking of trucks that supply goods for bulk breaking, narrowing the road even more.Compounding the situation is the refusal of pedestrians to use the foot bridge constructed for their usage.The wire mesh used as a fence to prevent truck pushers and pedestrian from crossing the highway from one end to the other had been destroyed, paving the way for people to cross the road with careless abandon.Some traders blamed their decision to trade on the streets on poor conditions within the market.Voicing their frustrations, Oluman Mensah, a trotro driver, told The Ghanaian Times that the traders created daily obstruction that affects both traffic flow and safety.He observed that they had taken over the road shoulders which forced drivers to sometimes veer into opposite lanes, risking knockdowns.Micheal Dapaah, a trotro driver shared same sentiments, saying, in the market women set up tables and spread goods right by the lane; "We are forced to slow down or swerve, which is very risky."''Everyday, we struggle to pass through Mallam .The sellers block the shoulders, and passengers are forced to get down in the middle of the road.
It's a recipe for disaster,'' Kwame Yeboah, a trotro driver, also lamented.When contacted, the secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transportation Union (GPRTU) who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they could not speak on the matter as it was before authorities.Auntie Adwoa Baah, a tomato seller, said she moved onto the pavement after struggling to sell her perishable goods from her store inside in the market."Tomatoes spoil quickly.
When I sold inside the market, I hardly got customers, and I was losing money.
Out here, I can sell four baskets a day," she explained.Another trader, 37-year-old Mansah Kyere, echoed similar sentiments.She said the market is overcrowded, compelling her to join others on the pavement, stressing that, "I don't see anything wrong with it.
