Management of Pedestrian Walkways in Accra Metropolis

Abstract

Walking is a sustainable and basic mode of transport worldwide. In developing countries, it is a crucial means of transportation. Walkways provide the main infrastructure that affords pedestrians the ability to manoeuvre safely through the built environment. Faced with rapid motorization and increased congestion, government investments have focused more on vehicular infrastructure expansion at the expense of pedestrians in Accra, Ghana. Available spaces for pedestrians have also been found to be inadequate, highly encroached and obstructed, and poorly maintained. Thus, there is a need to assess the management of pedestrian walkways and sidewalks in Accra Metropolis. The study adopted a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, drawing on the model of public space management. A mixed sampling technique was used to sample 239 everyday users and 7 institutional heads. Data was obtained from the field using a questionnaire, an interview guide, and a field auditing scheme. Simple regression, PCA, and MAXQDA were used to analyse the results. The results of the study revealed that the existing conditions of pedestrian walkways within the metropolis were poor. The results also suggest that organisational practises in the management of pedestrian walkways were unsatisfactory. The challenges confronting institutions mandated with the management of pedestrian walkways and sidewalks border on issues such as political interference, institutional inadequacies in enforcement, lack of funds, lack of skilled staff and logistics, poor institutional and departmental coordination, and a lack of policy direction. The study recommends that institutions and departments should be adequately resourced in their undertakings. A policy on design and standards should be developed to manage non-motorised facilities like walkways and sidewalks to ensure their sustainability.