IGP urged to stop police from harassing drivers

Mankessim, April 11, GNA - Mr. Kwesi Baffoe, an executive member of the Mankessim Number Three Branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, (GPRTU) has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Nana Owusu Nsiah to impress it upon the police to stop harassing drivers from outside Greater Accra Region for possessing old licences.

Making the appeal through GNA at Mankessim, Mr. Baffoe said when the Driver and Vehicles Licensing Authority (DULA) decided to replace the old licences the exercise was concentrated in Greater Accra Region alone. Drivers who went to the other regions to replace their licences were told to wait since it had not got to their turn.

He said the exercise had now been extended to the other regions after it had been closed in Greater Accra on the 31st of March 2004. Mr. Baffoe said the unfortunate thing was that drivers from the other regions where the exercise had now started were being harassed by the police for using the old licence when they drive to Accra.

For this reason most of drivers in Central Region who run Accra had withdrawn their vehicles from the route, he complained. He said the situation was causing a lot of inconvenience for passengers who did businesses in Accra.

Mr. Baffoe said since the exercise was supposed to end nationwide in September 2004, the police could only be justified for effecting arrest after the close of the exercise in September.