Accra, Sept. 14, GNA – As part of measures to check the spate of accidents on the roads, the Police would from next week embark on a nation-wide exercise to clampdown on the use of rickety vehicles, vehicles with defective tyres and lights.
Police would also rigorously check acts of dangerous driving such as jumping the red light, overtaking in curves, on hills and forcing other vehicles to veer of the road, exceeding the speed limit of 50 kilometres per hour in towns and 80 kph on the highways.
A statement signed by Mr David Eklu, Director, Public Affairs, said the Police would also go all out to check overloading, driving under the influence of alcohol and the use of single tyres and carriers on Mercedes Benz 207 buses.
“All those who ride unregistered motorbikes will also be arrested and prosecuted.”
The statement said Police would check the licences of drivers to ensure that they had been renewed and that they corresponded with the correct class of vehicles they had been permitted to drive. Those, who leave disabled or broken down vehicles on the road without informing the Police or placing appropriate warning triangles, would also face the full rigours of the law.
The statement said these measures were instituted at the end of an emergency meeting convened by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong at the Police Headquarters on Tuesday for Motor Traffic Transport Unit (MTTU) and Regional Commanders from Accra, Tema, Western, Ashanti, Eastern and Central Regions to discuss and put in place tactics to deal with accidents and other acts of lawlessness on the roads.
The IGP has also directed all commanders in the Regions, Divisions and Districts to hold meetings with the various transport unions for a combined and co-ordinated action to ensure safety on the roads. Ghana has seen an alarming rise in accidents over the past few weeks in which about one dozen people were killed. The latest was Tuesday when the former Minister of Youth and Sports, Mr Edward Osei-Kweku was killed in Kumasi.
The statement said during the emergency meeting, the Senior Police Officers also took cognisance of public concerns and criticisms of the action of some Police personnel on traffic enforcement and barrier duties.
For example, some unprofessional conducts such as extortion, taking bribes from drivers, not physically inspecting vehicles, lack of courtesy towards passengers and drivers and improper turnout of personnel on duty were discussed.
“To check these negative practices, the IGP has directed that all MTTU Commanders as well as other Senior Officers in the various regions, divisions and districts should publish their cell and office phone numbers through the local FM Stations to enable members of the public to call or text information on any Police officer seen taking money from drivers.”
The information should include the service number of the Police Officer, time, place and registration number of both the Police vehicle if any and that of the passenger or private vehicle.
In addition, passengers who have cell phones are also encouraged to send text messages through the following mobile phone numbers whenever any driver was seen driving dangerously or recklessly on the roads.
The telephone numbers are as follows:
Fixed Line mobile phone
Accra (Central) 021-664206 024-3850021 020-2012473
Odorkor 021-305147 —
Tesano 021-245736 —
Nima 021-226191 —
Kpeshie 021-712060 020-6118926
Labadi 021-775525 —
Osu 021-776150 —
Cantonments 021-776571
Tema 022-202779 020-8173941
Source: GhanaWeb
