MTTU pledges to go into action to enforce laws

Daily Graphic, Pg 23, Thurs. Jan/09/09

Story Rebecca Quaicoe Duho

THE Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has begun enforcing the laws on the wearing of seat belts, wrong parking and picking of passengers and cars with tinted films on their glasses.
According to the Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Daniel Avorga, drivers who flouted any of the three regulations would be prosecuted according to the law, adding that the unit “will close its ears to any pleas” and would not entertain any apologies on behalf of offenders by any relative or official.
He said this after the unit had given warning letters to and released 18 drivers who committed various traffic offences for which they were detained for 36 hours.
According to ACP Avorga, the general public had misunderstood the actions of the unit during the December elections when it granted pardon to some traffic offenders to mean that the unit had stopped prosecuting drivers in court.
He explained that “during the December 7 and 28, 2008 elections, we did not stop prosecuting drivers but we just did not want to be caught in the political heat”.
He, therefore, appealed to drivers to comport themselves in order not to fall foul of the law, adding that most offenders were drivers who did not operate from any station and, therefore, were not bound by any union regulations.
He said since December 2008 till date the unit had pardoned 38 drivers who committed various offences and gave the assurance that that was the last instance of magnanimity by the unit as any driver caught after that would be sent to court where he would be made to pay at least 10 penalty units, which was GH¢120.
ACP Avorga said each of the offending drivers had been given a warning letter and his particulars stored for future reference, adding that “this act of goodwill is the last of its kind to be extended to any driver”.
He said many of the drivers “do not know the rules and regulations that inform traffic regulations”.
On the issue of drivers not wearing seat belts, ACP Avorga said Act 683, Section 13 of the Road Traffic Regulations enjoined people in vehicles to wear seat belts, whether they were seated in the front or at the back, if the belts were provided.
Offenders, he said, would be taken to court, saying that the unit had decided to strictly enforce that law because of the benefits of seat belts in reducing fatalities in case of a crash.
He also called on motorbike riders and their passengers to wear crash helmets and further warned that motor riders who crossed red lights or used their bikes to intimidate people would be prosecuted.
On wrong parking and picking of passengers at unauthorised points, ACP Avorga said the unit would prosecute offending drivers and made specific references to drivers who parked to load in front of the Ghana Commercial Bank (GCB) branch at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle, the 37 Military Hospital and along the Independence Avenue.
According to him, that would help to ease traffic on most of the major roads to help in the free flow of traffic.
On the use of tinted films on the glasses of cars, ACP Avorga said it was an offence and called on all those who had flouted it to ensure that they complied with the required rules now.