33 Drivers arrested for flouting Public Order Act

Thirty-three commercial drivers and transport officers were arrested Monday for allegedly breaching the Public Order Act 1994 (Act 491).

The drivers and the transport officers, popularly referred to as station officers, were arrested while they were burning lorry tyres and blocking streets as part of a protest against a new road traffic regulation by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). 

Under the new road traffic regulation, commercial vehicles are to be fixed with seat belts before they will be registered by the DVLA.

The law, which is expected to come into force in the first week of December this year, also requires commercial drivers to use biometric roadworthy stickers and renew their registration numbers every quarter.

Those arrested were between 17 and 52 years. While some had red bands on their heads, others were in red attire.

Mayhem

Briefing journalists, the Public Relations officer of the Accra Regional Police Command, Mrs Affia Tenge, described the protest by the commercial drivers as illegal.

She said the police received information in the early hours of yesterday that some people were causing mayhem at Odorkor, Mile Seven and Teshie, all in Accra.

She said a number of policemen who were dispatched to the scenes of the protest to maintain law and order arrested 33 people.

“They were caught in the act of blocking roads and burning tyres, while others prevented other commercial drivers from operating,” she said.

Mrs Tenge said the police were not informed about the protest, in line with the Public Order Act, 1994 (Act 491) which stipulates that the police must be notified of all special events.

“The police would have even provided security, as we do for all demonstrators, if we had been notified. If you have grievances, you cannot put the law into your own hands. You cannot just get up and decide to demonstrate because you are not happy with a directive,” she said.

She said the arrested drivers and transport officers would be charged for breaching the Public Order Act.