NRSA Pulls Down Over 120 Unauthorised Billboards From Accra Road Medians

The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) says it has cleared more than 120 advertising boards that had been put up without approval on road medians in parts of the Greater Accra Region.

The Authority announced the operation in a Facebook post on Sunday, November 8, saying the move was intended to make roads safer for people on foot and to give road users a clearer view of their surroundings.

According to the NRSA, the removal exercise was led by its Director-General, Abraham Amaliba. He was joined by the Authority's Technical Advisor and members of its Greater Accra Regional Team.

Route covered

The Authority said the team worked along a corridor starting at the Supreme Court. From there, the exercise moved through the Ridge Roundabout and past the Trades Union Congress (TUC), before finishing at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel.

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The NRSA explained that the boards had been obstructing sight lines along these stretches. Taking them down, it said, would help pedestrians cross and move about more safely.

The Authority described the operation as one part of a wider push to keep the city's streets orderly and safe for pedestrians as well as motorists and other road users.

Industry concerns over illegal structures

The exercise comes against the backdrop of concerns raised by the Advertising Association of Ghana about the spread of illegal billboards in the capital.

The association's President, Andrew Ackah, has said that around 10,000 advertising structures have been identified across Accra, and that between 40 and 60 per cent of them fail to meet existing regulations.

Mr Ackah said an assessment carried out by the association found that a number of outdoor advertising structures breach traffic and building rules. He added that some of the structures also raise questions about how sound they are and the quality of the materials used to build them.

The details of the NRSA operation and Mr Ackah's comments were first reported by Citi News.