By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Oct. 15, GNA -Walk21, a global charity promoting walking as a safe, healthy and sustainable mode of transport, has called on African countries to give walking the same planning priority as motorised transport to make cities safer, healthier and more inclusive.
Ms Bronwyn Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of the Walk21 Foundation, made the call on Wednesday at the opening of the Walk21 Regional Dialogue, Africa 2026, being hosted by the University of Cape Coast.
The three-day Walk21 Regional Dialogues brought together government officials, city authorities, researchers, civil-society organisations, practitioners and development partners to position walking as a central pillar of sustainable transport planning.
Participants from across Africa, including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, joined delegates from the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain and Malta.
She explained that walking remained the first and last mode of transport in almost every journey, yet it was often overlooked in urban development due to growing car ownership and road expansion.
Ms Thornton said prioritising pedestrian infrastructure would help create cities that were safer, healthier and more inclusive for all residents.
“Walking is not just a feel-good mode of transport,” she said. “It supports health, community life, congestion reduction and the cost-effectiveness of transport infrastructure,” she explained at the forum being held on the theme: “Consolidating a regional research and practice agenda for walking in the UN Decade of Action for Sustainable Transport.”
It seeks to build political commitment, connect evidence with action, and strengthen institutions that place pedestrians at the centre of urban planning.
A key focus is supporting the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM), which prioritises pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users across the continent.
The event will witness the launching of the Ghana Living Lab under the Walking Cities Lab Research Programme, whereas participants are expected to define regional priorities, inform national policies and agree on practical steps towards safer, healthier and more accessible walking environments.
Ms Thornton said Africa was well placed to lead on active mobility, following the African Union’s endorsement of the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility, which commits transport ministers to support walking and cycling.
However, she stressed that the policy must be translated into national investment plans and local infrastructure, including wider sidewalks, safe crossings and space for vendors.
She observed that while parts of the UCC offered good walking environments, many town roads lacked dedicated pedestrian space, exposing walkers to danger from motorised traffic.
“The number one thing in Ghana, in Africa and in many countries is to build sidewalks,” she said, adding that people were already walking and needed safer conditions.
Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, Central Regional Minister directed Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to prioritise pedestrians, keep walkways clear and enforce sanitation by-laws in all road and market projects.
The Minister said the region’s recent “Accounting to the People” engagements with the various Assemblies showed that roads, road safety and sanitation remained among residents’ highest priorities.
“A walkable city must first be a clean city. No one can walk safely along a road lined with rubbish or beside an open, choked drain,” the Minister said, urging assemblies to enforce their sanitation by-laws.
He further noted that walking remained the most common means of movement for millions of Africans, yet pedestrians were often forgotten in town planning and called for safer walkways .
Prof Denis Worlanyo Aheto, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) urged universities to apply research to real societal challenges, noting that walking promotes health, environmental sustainability and access to education, employment and essential services.
Welcoming the participants, he indicated that the launch of the Africa Living Lab, was vital to promoting safe, inclusive and sustainable walking across Africa.
Edited by Alice Tettey /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Isaac Arkoh