The Traffic Mall
Accra like most capitals is a busy place, you get to sit in traffic for hours especially on Fridays.
I hate traffic; I don’t know anyone who doesn’t. We all have things to do. Aside that, it feels as if the sun is taking a stroll right above your head while in traffic. The heat is just unbearable.
I know a group of people who pray, day in day out for a proper road block where your car moves just a distance of only one meter every 30mins. It’s honestly that bad!
The hawkers, those whose livelihood and success of business depends on your discomfort. They make up the traffic mall. They are up as early as 6am till around 9pm, ready to flag their wares.
The traffic mall is booming business for hawkers. It is a place you can get virtually anything to buy while in your car. Almost everything is at your disposal from breakfast, dinner, groceries, fruits, car furniture cleaner to toiletries and clothing. Name it and it can be found in the traffic mall. On some days you get to buy yam and freshly killed bush meat.
There is a trick to transactions in the traffic else you will loose both your money and what you want to buy.
Step 1 – Roll down your window, that’s if your car has one.
Step 2 – Call a hawker (a hiss often does the trick)
Step 3 – Get to shopping
Its that easy and quick.
And it could go south pretty quick! if the light turns green and you are yet to collect your change, the earlier you forget about it the better. That hawker won’t chase you unless it is the other way round.
The traffic mall interestingly contributes economically to the country. It employs a set of physically fit youths who are very good at running but their job is not for the faint hearted.
Chasing cars to sell to passengers, from dawn to dusk is not a small feat.
accra hawkers traffic
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