The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), has made notice to businesses the metropolis of its intent to charge them for parking of vehicles along some streets. All car owners are expected to purchase a sticker for GHc8 allowing them to park on designated spaces along streets in the metropolis, and afterwards pay an amount of GHc4 per vehicle every day. Guests visiting the companies who park in the allocated spaces and do not have stickers will pay GHc2 every two hours.

Before this notice, the AMA did not allow on-street parking and would clamp down cars for using the available spaces for parking.On the other hand, in the uncongested areas, cars park freely without any action by AMA security guards. The AMA has only a few adequately regulated and designated parking spaces off the streets, for example in the Central Business District of Accra, where cars are charged for going to park there.

AMA says that the new move is to ensure saneness in the localities. The letter to the companies, which was signed by Sam Ayeh-Dartey, the Metro Coordinating Director said the Assembly has contracted private firm, Messrs Colums Park Investment, the right to collect the duties for “on-street parking” within the Adabraka area in the Osu Klottey sub-metro beginning January 2018.

The permitting rule covers all institutions whose parking is within the public right-of-way reservations, streets and lanes. The Assembly also notified all institutions that parking on pedestrian walkways and areas designated as ‘No Parking’ are contrary to the Assembly’s bye-laws and the Road Traffic Act 2004 (Act 683), and where these occur, the Assembly shall take steps to enforce such situations through its parking management associates.

AMA in the letter said it has agreed on this move as part of its transportation planning and development obligation under the Legislative Instrument 1961, and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). It further said that all institutions that require parking space would be involved by the Assembly to find the best provisions that also ensures saneness in the surrounding of their parking locations (both on-street and off-street).

Road markings

The AMA has recently painted some streets within the metropolis earmarking parking spaces.

Demolition exercise

The Assembly earlier in January 2017 cast out traders and hawkers along the streets. The exercise was carried out by the AMA city guards together with the police. It was led by Mohammed Adjei Sowah who is the Chief Executive, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly,

The team also destroyed constructions established that were set up in wrong places. Some of the areas the team visited included the Central Business District, Kokomlemle, Tip-toe lane, Circle, the High Street among others.