Car Dealers Turn Kwashieman Footbridge Walkway Into Showroom, Forcing Pedestrians Onto Busy N1 Highway

Roadside car dealers have occupied almost half the pedestrian walkway leading to the Kwashieman footbridge, forcing schoolchildren, the elderly, and traders carrying loads to squeeze through narrow gaps or risk their lives crossing the George Walker Bush Highway on foot.

A visit to the area on Thursday revealed that the dealers, who have long operated alongside the N1 highway, have extended their display areas onto the walkway itself. Cars offered for sale now cover a substantial portion of the path, leaving pedestrians with limited space to reach the footbridge .

The walkway was constructed specifically to give pedestrians safe access to the footbridge and protect them from the fast-moving traffic on the N1. With vehicles now parked on it, pedestrians are being pushed closer to the main road—where speeding cars pass almost every minute .

The Most Vulnerable Bear the Cost

Residents say the situation is particularly acute during rush hours, when the route is heavily used by commuters crossing to the other side. Schoolchildren, the elderly, and persons carrying loads are the most affected, as they struggle to manoeuvre through the narrow space left by the parked cars .

The Kwashieman intersection on the N1 has been identified as a road traffic hotspot. According to a Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative for Global Road Safety report, Kwashieman was among the locations with the highest concentration of fatal crashes in Accra, with pedestrians accounting for more than half of all road deaths in the capital .

A Pattern of Encroachment

The Kwashieman case reflects a broader failure of enforcement against the privatisation of public pedestrian infrastructure across Accra. A Graphic Online editorial in September noted that pavements have been colonised, footbridges turned into markets, and car dealers allowed to use public walkways as showrooms—with assemblies collecting tolls from the very encroachers they are supposed to evict .

Under Section 21 of the Local Governance Act, 2016 (Act 936) and the bye-laws of every assembly, it is an offence to trade, display goods, or park on pavements, walkways, and footbridges. Yet enforcement has been inconsistent. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly recently gave traders occupying unauthorised bus stops a 48-hour ultimatum to vacate, following pressure from transport unions, and Mayor Michael Kpakpo Allotey has overseen clearing operations at the Kwame Nkrumah Interchange, Achimota, and parts of the Central Business District .

Calls for Enforcement

Pedestrians at Kwashieman are appealing to the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, the Ghana Highway Authority, and law enforcement agencies to intervene and remove the cars from the walkway. They warn that if the dealers are not stopped, they will completely take over the path and permanently force pedestrians onto the highway—a situation that could lead to accidents and loss of life .

They are calling for regular enforcement, not one-off clearing exercises, to keep the walkway clear and safe for its intended purpose.