Hawkers and roaming preachers have taken over the five-metre high Madina REDCO footbridge and adjoining streets, making it increasingly difficult for pedestrians to use the facility intended to promote safe road crossing.

The traders have virtually turned sections of the footbridge into a marketplace, displaying their wares on the floor using jute sacks, plastic sheets and metal trays, while others have occupied both sides of the walkway with their merchandise.

Foodstuffs such as okro, garden eggs, pepper, onions, dried fish, smoked fish, grains, spices and other groceries are openly sold on the footbridge and along the roadside, forcing pedestrians to weave through the crowded path.

Clothing and fashion accessories including slippers, brassieres, panties, socks, bags and other household items are also displayed for sale, leaving only limited space for commuters to use.

The situation is worsened by the presence of itinerant preachers who position themselves on the footbridge with public address systems to evangelise, drawing crowds to further obstruct pedestrian movement.

Head porters are also seen crossing the highway through the median while carrying heavy loads instead of using the footbridge, exposing themselves to the danger of being knocked down by speeding vehicles.

Also, portions of the footbridge are showing signs of deterioration. Several metal railings are rusted, bent and loosely secured with pieces of wire, raising concerns about the safety of users, especially children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

Sections of the concrete surface are worn and chipped, while makeshift wooden supports attached to parts of the structure suggest temporary repairs.

After a visit by The Spectator last week, it emerged that many commuters preferred crossing the busy Madina Highway instead of using the footbridge because of the congestion created by the trading and preaching activities.

For years, successive attempts by the police, the military and the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly to address congestion around the REDCO and Zongo Junction enclave have yielded little success, with the area becoming notorious for roadside trading, indiscriminate parking and pedestrians refusing to use the footbridge.

A pedestrian, who gave her name only as Maame Yaa, described the situation as worrying, saying the footbridge, which was constructed to protect lives, had gradually lost its purpose because of the growing encroachment by traders and preachers.

According to her, many pedestrians were discouraged from using the facility because navigating through the crowded walkway had become difficult and uncomfortable.

She appealed to the La Nkwantanang Madina Municipal Assembly and other relevant authorities to intensify enforcement to prevent unauthorised trading and other activities on the footbridge and ensure it served its intended purpose of promoting pedestrian safety.

However, during the visit, personnel of the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) were seen carrying out a decongestion exercise to remove hawkers from sections of the roadside around the footbridge as part of efforts to improve public safety and ease the movement of both pedestrians and motorists.

The exercise forms part of a pilot project initiated by the Municipal Fire Commander for Madina, Division Officer II (DO II) Abdul Salia, who assumed command of the Madina Municipal Fire Station three months ago.

Speaking in an interview with The Spectator, DO II  Abdulai Salia, who is also a long time resident of the community, said the month long project began on July 1 and ended on July 31, with 30 firefighters deployed daily to regulate traffic, clear hawkers from the streets and footbridge, and create access for emergency vehicles.

He explained that the operation focused on relocating traders from the streets and footbridge to designated trading areas, ensuring that commercial drivers loaded and discharged passengers only at approved terminals, and educating pedestrians on the dangers of crossing.

According to him, the persistent congestion around the REDCO area had significantly delayed the movement of fire engines responding to emergencies.

“Our response time to fire outbreaks was often delayed by between 10 and 15 minutes because roads were blocked by traders, illegally parked vehicles and pedestrians. In some cases, our fire tenders struggled to pass through, putting lives and property at risk,” he said.

He explained that the primary objective of the exercise was to restore order and ensure that emergency vehicles, particularly fire tenders, could move freely whenever there was a fire outbreak or any other emergency.

DO II Salia acknowledged that although the exercise fell outside the traditional responsibilities of the Ghana National Fire Service, it became necessary because delays in emergency response could result in the loss of lives and destruction of property.

He expressed the hope that sustained collaboration among the Assembly, the security agencies, traders and residents would help maintain order around the REDCO enclave and encouraged more pedestrians to use the footbridge as intended.