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'Floating Drivers' To Be Banned

By Lawrence Kwesi Akpalu - newtimesonline.com
Fri, 20 Jun 2008 | Print | E-Mail | PDF | Graphics Version
General News

FROM July, this year, commercial drivers who do not belong to any drivers’ union will be banned from operating within the Accra metropolis, the Greater Accra Motor Traffic Unit (MTU) Commander, has warned.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP)Daniel Julius Avorga, explained that the move is to enable the various unions to keep accurate data on drivers who operate from their stations.

ACP Avorga said this on Wednesday when he met with transport unions within the Accra metropolis.

The meeting sought to ease a simmering tension between the police and drivers after the Ashaiman incident. It is also for the MTU head to have a first hand information on problems facing the drivers.

The registration of the drivers will also assist the police to trace traffic offenders and their vehicle owners.

The MTU boss said that the unit has 250 instead of 650 traffic policemen needed for effective traffic control in the city.

ACP Avorga said even though the Unions have task forces, they are unable to effectively deal with troublesome members for fear of being voted out of office.

'This has led to drivers taking the law into their own hands and leading them to fall foul of the law,' he added.

He said while the operation to weed out drivers without unions is in progress, vehicles with 'defective number plates' and those not registered after two months will be impounded.

He said it has been realised that unregistered vehicles are being used for armed robberies.

The Metropolitan MTU boss urged the divers and union executives not to hesitate to report to him directly any molestation by his men, saying 'I want to stem the ugly scene that occurred at Ashiaman between the police and drivers.

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