By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Oct. 15, GNA –Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, Minister of Transport has advocated for the prioritisation of pedestrian-centred walkways to be mainstreamed into urban transport planning to promote safe walking, improved pedestrian movements and support healthier lifestyles.
He said the growing urbanisation, expanding populations, increasing economic activity and rising demand for mobility presented both opportunities and challenges for policymakers, implementers and transport users.
Delivering an address at the opening of Walk21 Regional Dialogues, Africa 2026 at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Mr Nikpe wondered why in many urban areas, transport systems continued to be designed primarily around the movement of vehicles rather than people.
This approach, he said risked creating cities marked by congestion, pollution, traffic crises, road injuries and fatalities, while creating unsafe walking conditions affecting public health and quality of life.
The three-day Walk21 Regional Dialogues has government officials, city authorities, researchers, civil-society organisations, practitioners and development partners dialoguing to promote walking as a central pillar of sustainable transport planning.
Participating countries and delegations include Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Mozambique, Malawi and Tanzania, as well as reps from the United Kingdom, the United States, Spain and Malta.
Held under the theme: “Consolidating a regional research and practice agenda for walking in the UN Decade of Action for Sustainable Transport,” the forum seeks to build political commitment to walking and connect evidence with practical action.
It is also aimed at deepening regional collaboration and strengthening the institutions responsible for putting pedestrians at the centre of transport and urban planning.
A major focus of the dialogue is support for the implementation of the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM).
The framework, developed with extensive stakeholder engagement, seeks to prioritise pedestrians, cyclists and other non-motorised transport users across Africa, where walking and cycling are among the most widely used forms of mobility.
The event will also mark the launch of the Ghana Living Lab under the Walking Cities Lab Research Programme designed to serve as a regional anchor for research and practical interventions that make walking a global transport priority.
Participants are expected to define regional priorities, inform national policies and action plans, and agree on practical pathways towards safer, healthier and more accessible walking environments.
Discussions are structured around five thematic areas: (Un)walkable cities; climate-resilient walking; caring cities and walking equity; governing walkable cities; and implementing and sustaining change.
Special attention will be given to vulnerable road users, particularly children, older persons and persons with disabilities, throughout the UN Decade of Sustainable Transport
Mr Nikpe said walking remained an integral part of daily transportation and should no longer be treated as an afterthought in the design of cities and transport systems.
“Every journey begins with a step,” the Minister said. “Before we board a bus, taxi, car or train, the first thing we do is take a step. Walking, therefore, is an integral part of human transportation and a daily necessity.
“People walk to school, work, markets, health facilities and other opportunities, making safe and accessible walkways essential to everyday life,” he stated.
Mr Ekow Panyin Okyere Eduamoah, Central Regional Minister urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies to prioritise pedestrians in road, market and sanitation projects, describing them as the “forgotten road users” in many Ghanaian towns.
He said the broken footpaths, choked drains, roadside trading and refuse disposal make walking unsafe and called for strict enforcement of sanitation by-laws.
Ms Bronwyn Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of Walk21 Foundation said walking deserves the same policy priority and investment as other transport modes as it underpins nearly every journey and supports health, community access, and congestion reduction.
She said Africa was well placed to advance walking and cycling following the African Union’s endorsement of the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility and urged governments to turn that commitment into funded national and local plans for safe, walkable streets.
GNA
Edited by Alice Tettey /Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Isaac Arkoh