The government has suspended the implementation of the regulation banning preaching and hawking in moving public transport vehicles, MyJoyOnline.com has reported.
A high-ranking government source confirmed the decision to the news outlet following public criticism and concerns from religious leaders and other stakeholders.
The Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), prohibit preaching and hawking in moving public or commercial vehicles, with offenders facing fines of between Ghc120 and Ghc600, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both.
However, the government has yet to publicly explain the suspension or indicate when it will announce its next steps.
The restriction is not new. Regulation 116 of L.I. 2180, introduced in 2012, already prohibited the activities, but the new L.I. 2519 increases the maximum prison sentence to eight months.
The provision has sparked debate over religious expression and the practice of preaching and selling goods in tro-tros and buses.
The suspension comes as the Ministry of Transport intensifies public education on the revised road traffic regulations, which also introduce measures such as automated traffic enforcement, a demerit-point system for driving licences and tougher penalties for certain offences.
Transport Minister Joseph Bukari Nikpe launched a nationwide sensitisation campaign in September to educate road users and transport operators on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153), and L.I. 2519.
