At independence, Accra’s population was barely half a million.
Today, that number has swelled to nearly three million – depending on who you ask.
That’s an astonishing 460 per cent increase between 1957 and 2025.
But while the population has grown explosively, our strategies for managing the city haven’t kept pace.
What was once a compact, liveable capital has now become a daily battlefield of honking horns, impatient drivers, and endless gridlocks – especially during rush hours.
In the mornings, traffic snakes painfully into the Central Business District (CBD); by evening, it reverses with equal vengeance toward Legon, Madina and beyond.
It’s easy to understand why – nearly every major government institution, ministry and corporate headquarters is situated right in the heart of Accra.
Too many ministries, one small city
Apart from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, almost every government ministry – Trade, Agriculture, Education, Finance – still occupies the same locations they did at independence.
Add to that the head offices of major banks and multinational firms clustered around Independence Avenue or the CBD corridor, and you have a perfect recipe for daily gridlock.
Governments are the biggest enablers of business.
So, where the ministries go, the people follow – public servants, clients, contractors, job seekers, all converging on the same few kilometres of congested road.
What if, just what if, we relocated even ten of these ministries to satellite towns like Dodowa, Prampram, Koforidua, Ho or Winneba? Imagine the relief it would bring; fewer cars fighting their way into the city, reduced fuel consumption, cleaner air, and a saner commute.
A case for paying to enter central Accra
It’s time to rethink who gets to drive into the city centre. Lee Kuan Yew, in his classic From Third World to First, documented how Singapore implemented a simple tolling system to reduce congestion.
Accra can learn from that model. Every private vehicle entering the CBD should pay a modest toll. It might sound harsh, but it would discourage unnecessary trips, free up the roads, and restore some order and aesthetics to central Accra.
The Public Transport Paradox
It’s baffling that a growing capital city like Accra still struggles with reliable public transport. Metro Mass Transit and Aayalolo were meant to be the answer; yet both have limped along, starved of proper management and vision.
Without dependable public transport, every worker resorts to private cars, commercial minibuses (our famed trotros), or ride-hailing apps, worsening congestion. Until we fix public transport, no traffic management plan will truly succeed.
A first-time visitor to Accra quickly notices the forest of traffic lights – especially between Adentan and the city centre.
Depending on where you start counting, there are about 17 to 20 sets of lights along that single stretch. Every 300 to 500 metres, you’re forced to stop and start again.
That’s not efficiency – that’s chaos disguised as order.
When police replace the traffic lights
Then there’s the curious case of police officers directing traffic at intersections – even when the lights are working perfectly.
You stop at a red light, only to hear a police officer shouting for you to move.
Confused, you move, wondering why the lights exist in the first place.
It’s become the new normal – officers “redirecting” functioning traffic lights.
I once asked a police friend why this happens.
The explanations didn’t convince me.
If we have invested in technology, why are we still relying on human guesswork?
The promise of the Accra traffic management centre
In 2019, the Accra Traffic Management Centre was launched with great optimism.
It cost about US$3.4 million and was funded by the Government of Ghana and the French Development Agency.
It was billed as a game-changer.
The system was designed to monitor real-time traffic, adjust signal timings, integrate with public transport, and even detect traffic violations.
Forty-one smart traffic lights were connected to communicate with each other – a promising step toward modern traffic control.
Yet, years later, dozens of officers still stand at intersections every morning and evening, waving vehicles through functioning lights. What went wrong?
If the system works, let it work. And if it doesn’t, fix it – and redeploy those officers to community policing, where their presence would be far more impactful.
Small ideas, big impact
During rush hour, while one side of the road – say, from Accra to Madina – is choked with traffic, the opposite lane often remains half-empty. Why not temporarily cordon off half of that free lane and redirect some traffic to ease the pressure?
It might sound unconventional, but sometimes small, practical interventions – not expensive overhauls – make the biggest difference.
After all, research shows that nearly one-third of household income in Accra goes into transportation.
Efficient traffic management isn’t just about convenience; it’s about saving time, fuel, and money.
Way forward
Accra doesn’t need miracles to fix its traffic; it requires discipline, smart thinking, and a willingness to try simpler solutions.
If we can decentralise public offices, enforce smart tolling, revive public transport, and trust our technology, the chaos can be tamed.
Sometimes, the best solutions aren’t grand or complicated. They’re minimalist—but they work.
Author’s email: maximus.attah@gmail.com
