Government has suspended the implementation of a Legislative Instrument (LI) seeking to regulate preaching and hawking in moving vehicles, pending further engagement with stakeholders.
The proposed regulation includes provisions for jail terms for offenders who violate the restrictions, raising concerns about its potential impact on religious activities and informal trading.
In a clarification issued by the Presidency, the regulation is among a raft of proposed road traffic regulations intended to ensure public safety and order, whose implementation has been deferred to allow broader consultations.
“Please note that the regulation that controls preaching in moving vehicles is one of a raft of road traffic regulations proposed to ensure public and safety order, whose implementation have been deferred pending broader engagement with stakeholders,” the Presidency stated.
The statement added that implementation had been put on hold to allow the government to consider concerns raised by members of the public.
“So it has currently been put on hold to take on board the concerns of the public,” the statement said.
Preaching and hawking are common on commercial buses and other forms of public transport in Ghana, where religious ministers and traders often engage commuters during their journeys.
Some Christian leaders have also raised concerns about the proposed LI, particularly its implications for public preaching and the potential penalties for people who breach the restrictions.
The inclusion of custodial penalties has further drawn attention to the consequences of violating the proposed rules.
The government’s decision to defer implementation is expected to provide an opportunity for further discussions with religious leaders, traders and other stakeholders before enforcement measures are introduced.
