Eastern Regional Police Command arrest 50 drivers

January 29, 2011
Koforidua, Jan. 29, GNA - The Eastern Regional Police Command on Friday arrested 50 drivers for violating road traffic regulations during a special operation at Bunso Junction.

The operation, which was under the command of the Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Ransford Moses Ninson, is aimed at ensuring that road traffic regulations were adhered to by drivers and other road users.

The offences included expired insurance documents and road worthy certificates, over loading, over-speeding and driving without valid driving license.

Addressing the media after the operation, DCOP Ninson expressed concern about the high rate of indiscipline on the roads adding that such behaviour had contributed to an increase in road accidents.

He gave the assurance that those who had been arrested for various offences would be prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others.

DCOP Ninson said they decided to conduct the operation at Bunso Junction because the area had been identified as an accident prone area in the region.

He said the exercise would be carried out at other areas which had also been identified as accident prone areas.

These places include New Jejeti, Osino, Apedwa Junction, Suhum, Nkawkaw, Akyem Oda and Akosombo.

DCOP Ninson said most of the accidents recorded in the region occurred at those areas and promised to bring sanity on the roads.

Police Superintendent James Sarfo-Peprah, Eastern Regional Commanding officer of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), said the police was not interested in prosecuting road traffic offenders or to fine them huge sums of money but the operation was to bring sanity on the road in order to reduce accidents.

He said it was unfortunate that despite all the exercises the police undertook before, during and after the Christmas period, accident cases kept on increasing.

Superintendent Sarfo-Peprah said the exercise would be carried out from time to time at different locations until drivers learnt to do the right thing.

During the exercise, it was discovered that some "VIP", "VVIP", Yutong buses and "OA" Travel Executive buses had their entire road worthy certificates expired.

An Intercity Line Company bus with registration number AS 23 47-10 travelling from Accra to Asante Mampong, was impounded because its road worthy and insurance certificate had expired since December 2010 while the driver had no driving license.

The bus was parked at the Bunso Police Station and the driver, Anthony Bawtey, was ordered to refund the transportation fares to all the passengers who later joined different vehicles to their destination.

GNA