‘Operation Absolute Sanity’

'Operation Absolute Sanity' is the codename for a law enforcement exercise undertaken briefly by some divisional police commands in Accra recently.

The objective was about restoring sanity to the streets of the nation's capital by ridding it of undesired motorbikes because of various shortcomings such as their riders not licensed to do so and the bikes neither registered nor insured alongside the danger they pose to both motorists and pedestrians.

The streets of Accra, in their current state, are bereft of sanity, for which reason the coiners of the code must be commended for aptly summing up the picture of the nation's capital road network.

The exercise was limited to some parts of the national capital and lasted for a few hours, leaving in its wake a lot of impounded motorbikes within the parking lots of some police stations.

Although we won't to be harsh with our impression, we think it should have been a citywide operation lasting longer than it did.

Motorists and even pedestrians do not have a good impression about the management of the motorcycle traffic in Accra. Of course, we are aware of the limitation of the law enforcement managers in taking the necessary actions and sustaining them.

The danger posed by the many motorbikes which crisscross motorists on the congested streets of Accra is a truism not worthy of revisiting.

Suffice it to point out that the volume of motorbikes on the streets of Accra and the associated indiscipline demands a more rigorous exercise beyond two or so divisions as was carried out.

The effect was largely insignificant and for us it should have been coordinated at the Motor Traffic and Transport (MTTD) Department (MTTD) Headquarters at the Police Headquarters for the desired effect.

Ridding the streets of Accra of indiscipline occasioned by unruly commercial motorbike operators, the 'Okadas', is beyond a few divisions embarking upon the exercise as reported in the media.

As we pointed out earlier, if we are unable to enforce the law barring their operations, which appears to be the case, let us regulate them.

Some of them, unlicensed, uninsured and even sometimes unregistered should be taken off the roads.

Their regulations should include having them registered as commercial motorbikes, paying appropriate tax to the local authorities or the state, among others.

The current unregulated nature of their operations is not only dangerous but also a blemish on our status as a state with a law enforcement system.

The preference for motorbikes for the committal of crimes by hoodlums is a reality which adds to the urgency for rethinking about the seeming indifference to 'Okada' operations.

By this commentary, we ask that a more effective and coordinated exercise be undertaken to ensure discipline on Accra roads the state of which is currently synonymous with lawlessness.