Police to reduce road accidents

A special exercise to reduce the increasing rate of accidents on major roads has been initiated by the Ghana Police Service.

Some of the roads are the Accra-Kumasi, Accra-Kasoa, Accra-Ho and Accra-Koforidua highways.

At the beginning of the operation on the Accra-Kasoa road yesterday, 100 vehicles and a number of motorbikes were impounded and their drivers arrested. 

While some of the vehicles, including minibuses and tipper trucks, were rickety and in “dangerous conditions”, others had worn-out tyres. 

Other vehicles did not have valid roadworthy certificates and insurance stickers, while some drivers were without licences. 

Some drivers had also overloaded their vehicles.

A number of private vehicles were also impounded for misusing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) trade plates, while most of the vehicles did not have fire extinguishers as required by law.

The unannounced exercise, led by the top management of the Ghana Police Service, started about 10 a.m. and ended at 12 noon.

 It was simultaneously carried out at various points in Accra.

According to the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), 3,512 accidents had been recorded nationwide as of May this year.

Statistics from the commission also indicate that 3,301 people sustained various degrees of injury from road accidents in the same period.

 The Greater Accra Region recorded 1,336 accidents, which is the highest number,  while the Upper East Region recorded the lowest, 35, it said.

Drivers bribe police 

The operation on the Accra-Kasoa road, led by the Director General in charge of Administration, Commissioner of Police Mrs Rose Bio Atinga, and the Accra Regional Police Commander, Mr Christian Tetteh Yohuno, stopped a number of commercial and private vehicles and motorbikes.

Two drivers were caught on camera trying to bribe the police after policemen had examined their documents and checked their cars.

After the drivers had been directed to pull over, they handed over their licences to the policemen with money hidden in them.

One of the drivers, identified as Kwame Adanu, who was driving a Benz Sprinter bus, with registration number GE 3169-12, put a GH¢10 note in the cover of his driver’s licence and gave it to the police.

“As for today, you policemen will make a lot of money on this road,” Adanu said just after he had handed over his licence with the money in it to the police.

It was found that his licence was invalid, while his road worthy certificate had expired.

Another driver was also captured on camera handing over GH¢20 to a policeman who had just stopped him and requested to see his licence and fire extinguisher.

In both instances, the police refused to take the bribe.

Objective of exercise 

In an interview, Mrs Atinga said all the offenders would be processed for court to serve as a deterrent to others and ensure sanity on the roads.

She said personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) usually conducted road traffic management “and so they are not able to arrest some of these drivers who endanger the lives of all road users and their passengers on a daily basis”.

In some cases, she said, the owners of the vehicles would be charged alongside the drivers for employing drivers who did not have licences or putting rickety vehicles on the road. 

Mrs Atinga said the Police Administration would take a decision on whether to conduct such exercises more frequently.

Writer’s email: emelia.ennin@graphic.com