An Assessment of Migration Process, Livelihood, Challenges And Coping Strategies Of Migrant Traffic Entrepreneurs In The Ga-East District, Accra

ABSTRACT

Rural poverty and regional difference in social and infrastructural development has resulted in the high rate of rural-urban migration. This has brought about the rapid urbanization which results unmet demand for jobs and other opportunities. Many are now engaged in traffic entrepreneur business as a source of livelihood for their dependants and families both at the destination and origin. In pursuance of their source of livelihood which is selling on the street, traffic entrepreneurs are faced with the resistance from the Ga-East Municipal Assembly city authorities who view their activities as illegal and a distortion to urban aesthetics. Traffic entrepreneurs in the quest to make a living, sometimes ignore rules and regulations that govern the use of urban space. This results in traffic entrepreneurs using unapproved public space for their activities. Municipal authorities and task force are forced to use means like demolition, decongestion and fining of offender to regulate their activities. This study therefore sought to explore the challenges migrant traffic entrepreneurs encounter and some coping strategies they have adopted in the Ga-East District. Specifically , the study tries to explore the socio-demographic characteristics of the migrants traffic entrepreneurs ; the factors that influence them to migrate to Accra; to examine the relationship between traffic entrepreneurs and city Authorities; to find out the challenges the face on daily basis; to find out and the coping and adaptation strategies they have developed to overcome these challenges and to examine the effect of migration on their livelihoods and those of their families at both the destination and origin. The mixed method approach which involves using both the qualitative and quantitative method was used in this study to gather data from 100 traffic entrepreneurs who have migrated to Accra for the survey questionnaires, in-depth interview of 6 informants and 6 key informants from the Ga-East Municipal Assembly. Purposive sampling was used to select the respondents for the interview. The study revealed that traffic entrepreneurs are often evicted from doing business in unapproved open public space by the Task force of the Ga-East Municipal Assembly .Traffic entrepreneurs have also adopted strategies to avoid the hurdles of constant eviction from the pavement and open public places by the Municipal task force. Some recommendations have been made at the end of the survey to regularize the activities of traffic entrepreneurs effectively and how the city officials can have a better relation with them.