Ghana’s National Road Safety Authority has warned it will sue municipal assemblies that permit illegal billboards on road medians, following a major enforcement operation in Accra.
The authority conducted a clearance exercise in the Ayawaso West Municipality on Tuesday, removing several illegal structures that officials said obstructed motorists’ vision and heightened crash risks.
Acting Director-General Abraham Amaliba announced the legal threat after assemblies failed to comply with repeated removal notices. The enforcement action represents an escalation in the authority’s campaign against unsafe advertising practices that began earlier this year.
“Any assembly that allows for the erection of a billboard, we are going to sue the assembly for engaging in an unlawful act,” Amaliba said. “We have written to the assemblies to remove these billboards; they have failed to remove them, so we have taken it upon ourselves to remove them.”
The director-general has previously condemned unauthorized billboard placement on road medians, citing them as hazards to both pedestrians and motorists. The structures obstruct drivers’ sight lines and create dangerous blind spots at critical road junctions.
Under the authority’s enforcement protocol, advertising companies must pay administrative costs before reclaiming confiscated signboards. Unclaimed billboards will be auctioned to recover removal expenses, Amaliba explained.
“The law says that when we remove the billboards, the owners would have to compensate the authority for the removal,” he said. “We will call them to come and identify their billboard, pay the administrative cost for the removal, and then they will take their things away.”
The crackdown addresses a growing road safety concern in Ghana’s urban areas, where unauthorized advertising structures have proliferated on road medians and intersections. Such installations can obstruct pedestrian walkways and create visibility challenges for drivers navigating busy traffic corridors.
Ghana recorded significant road traffic fatalities in recent years, with poor visibility and infrastructure obstacles contributing to crash rates. The National Road Safety Authority has implemented various measures to reduce accident risks through improved road design and enforcement.
The legal warning extends to all municipal and district assemblies across Ghana that have authorized median billboard installations. The authority’s position suggests a nationwide enforcement campaign may follow the Ayawaso West action.
Advertising industry representatives have argued that assemblies provided permits for the installations, creating regulatory confusion about authorized placement zones. The authority’s legal threat aims to clarify responsibility and deter future unauthorized installations.
The enforcement operation reflects broader efforts to improve road safety infrastructure in Ghana’s rapidly urbanizing areas. Traffic congestion and inadequate road design have contributed to rising accident rates in major cities like Accra and Kumasi.
Municipal assemblies generate revenue through advertising permits, creating potential conflicts between safety requirements and local government funding needs. The authority’s legal approach seeks to prioritize safety over revenue considerations.
The billboard removal campaign complements other road safety initiatives, including improved street lighting, pedestrian crossing facilities, and driver education programs across Ghana’s transportation network.
Source: newsghana.com.gh
