The Mayor of Accra, Hon. Michael Kpakpo Allotey, has announced a GH¢1,000 Christmas package for traders who comply with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s (AMA) red-line directive and operate within designated trading areas as part of efforts to ease congestion and improve traffic flow ahead of the festive season.

The package, announced during the November edition of the National Sanitation Day on Saturday, November 7, 2026, was intended to encourage traders to adhere to the Assembly’s trading regulations while supporting their livelihoods during the Christmas period and ensuring the free flow of vehicles.

According to him, the Assembly recognises the importance of trading activities to the local economy and was committed to creating an environment where traders could operate their businesses without obstructing roads and public transport terminals.

The Mayor directed traders operating at bus stops to vacate the areas immediately, stressing that the locations were strictly reserved for public transport operations.

He said traders who had earlier appealed for an extension until Monday had been given additional time to relocate, but cautioned that goods left at the bus stops after the deadline would be confiscated and donated to a children’s home.

He also urged traders to remain behind the red line and within designated trading areas, assuring them that the Assembly was working to balance their economic interests with the need to maintain order, sanitation and the free movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

Hon.  Allotey explained that the Assembly was not seeking to drive traders away from the Central Business District, but to ensure that trading activities were conducted in an orderly manner and in designated spaces, adding that the  Christmas package was part of efforts to demonstrate the Assembly’s commitment to the welfare of traders while encouraging them to cooperate with the authorities.

The Mayor also announced plans by the AMA, in collaboration with sister assemblies, to designate selected streets for trading ahead of the Christmas festivities under an initiative dubbed “Operation Let the Traffic Flow.”

The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) for Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, Hon Alfred Allotey Gaisie, who also addressed the traders said the two assemblies were working together to develop a coordinated approach to managing trading activities and traffic congestion across their adjoining jurisdictions.

He explained that the assemblies shared boundaries and served many of the same traders, who frequently moved between the Accra Metropolitan and Korle Klottey areas.

He said the proposed arrangements would focus on streets where trading activities were already intense, allowing selected roads to be temporarily closed to vehicular traffic to accommodate traders while ensuring that traffic could flow in the opposite direction.

The MCE indicated that the assemblies were approximately 80 per cent complete with preparations for the designated trading arrangements and would undertake further assessments before implementation.