According to a statement from the Police, some of the recalcitrant drivers were also detained while driving into oncoming traffic.

[contextly_sidebar id=”WOrTzn9MC2W32DwYDrU0CiYPpNuljxeX”]The statement, signed by the Director-General of Public Affairs for the Service, ACP David Eklu, added that the drivers were picked up various areas including Airport Aviation, Spintex, Pokuase, Amasaman and Accra Central between January 1 and 19, 2018.

“The Legislative Instrument (LI) 2180 of the Road traffic Regulation 74 (2) states that ‘a person shall not fit on a motor vehicle warning appliance other than the type approved by the Licensing Authority.”

“Any person who contravenes the regulation is liable to a fine of not more than 25 penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not more than 30 days or both.”

The police say the crackdown on the drivers will ensure that sanity is brought to the roads.

They believe that the sanctions will serve as a deterrent to other potential offenders

Prior warning

In April 2017, the Ghana Police Service gave an ultimatum to persons who have unlawfully installed sirens in their vehicles to dismantle them or face the law.

According to the service, it has noted the unauthorized use of sirens and horns by some motorists in the country.

A statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the Police Service at the time, Superintendent Cephas Arthur, said only specific state vehicles, ambulance, bullion vans among others, are expected to have and use the sirens and horns.

It warned that institutions that have also installed and are using the sirens and horns must cease the practice or face prosecution.

Police shakeup

This latest statement comes after the Commander in charge of Central Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) for the Accra Region, DCOP Alphonse Adu Amankwa, was reassigned as part of a major police reshuffle on Thursday.

He will now head the Eastern Regional Regional Police Command, while the MMTU will now be headed by ACP Anderson Fosu Achaah.

Other notable reshuffles include George Akuffo Dampare’s move from his position as Director General of Police Operations to the Police Research and Planning Department.

He is to be replaced immediately by the Eastern Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku.

Rev. David Nenyi Ampah-Benin, Central Regional Commander, is now the Director-General of Police Special Duties.

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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citifmonline.com/Ghana

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Mr. Osei Asibey Antwi, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE), said they would no longer tolerate the situation where vehicles were parked on pavements and passengers picked at unauthorized places.

He said the assembly was determined to make sure that things were properly regulated to help reduce vehicular and pedestrian congestion.

He was speaking at a joint meeting with the transport associations in Kumasi on Thursday.

Mr. Asibey Antwi said it was important for everybody to accept to get right with the law, to end the impunity.

He expressed disgust at the illegal conversion of a space in front of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), the nation’s second largest referral facility, into a lorry park, creating a lot of inconvenience to both patients and the hospital workers and said that could not continue.

The meeting discussed a report by a nine-member committee set up to find effective ways to tackle the city’s chaotic vehicular traffic situation.

The committee visited the various lorry terminals and engaged the transport operators on how to bring some level of sanity.

It was made up of representatives from the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Ghana Road Coordinating Council, KMA’s Transport sub-Committee and the transport associations.

Mr. Asibey Antwi gave the assurance that recommendations contained in the report would be implemented to the letter.

Mr. Kwaku Duah, Chairman of the Committee, condemned the disregard for motor traffic laws by many of the drivers and asked the transport associations to do more to assist their members to overcome the indiscipline and lawlessness.

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Source: GNA

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The man, Ibrahim Mahamadu Awaafo, was arrested by the Bawku police on Monday, after a survey conducted by the Upper East Regional Drivers and Vehicle Licenses Authority (DVLA), revealed that his company, Intercontinental WAPIC insurance Ghana Limited, has been issuing fake vehicle and driving permits for the past two years.

[contextly_sidebar id=”k3VJyM6JUNnvOkaIId5Ge6ZXxJwCMKSJ”]The DVLA and the police on Sunday 19th March, 2017, impounded hundreds of motorbikes and vehicles with fake vehicle and driving permits, as well as fake registered number plates in the Bawku municipality.

The suspect, Mr. Awaafo, when probed by officials of DVLA and the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) at the regional DVLA office, pleaded guilty of the offence and asked for forgiveness.

Mr. Awaafo was later granted bail of GHC15,000, and told to report to both the Bawku and Bolgatanga police stations on March 24, 2017.

Speaking to Citi News at  Misiga, the Acting DVLA Manager of Upper East Region,  Mr. Mutawakil Abdullah, said his outfit noticed that, the Bawku municipality and its environs have been inundated with fake vehicle number plates and needed a radical strategy to fix the situation.

He added that, the move will help clamp down on perpetrators who issue fake number plates by ensuring that, all motorists acquire genuine documentations from the DVLA.

Mr.  Mutawakil  said “we discovered that there are a lot of fake registration number plates in Bawku including other machines because  we have done a lot of our own ground  investigation for many weeks now.”

“There are certain numbers that have not been issued by the DVLA office, but are found on people’s bikes whiles other number plates found on the street of the Bawku municipality, are registered for different motorbikes. For example, a motorbike with this number M -17 -UE 25, has not yet been issued, whiles a bike with a number plate M -17 -UE 74, has been registered for a Royal motorbike at the DVLA which is also fake  for a Honda  bike in Bawku, and most of the fake number plates are registered in the name of different regions like Ashanti region, Northern region, Upper West and Brong Ahafo.”

Mr. Mutawakil bemoaned that the DVLA loses thousands of Ghana cedis through the evasion of motor import duties, adding that, more of such operations will help deal with the alarming trend.

Mr. Mutawakil hinted that, the exercise will be extended to Garu, Pusiga, Zebilla , Bongo and Navrongo.

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By: Frederick Awuni/Citifmonline.com/Ghana

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According to him, the directorate will now serve a dual purpose of protecting lives and also ensuring that the service regains the trust of the public.

[contextly_sidebar id=”xlwooPZY60WcNQB7dyvSRksRnMzpky3V”]Asante-Apeatu made the comment at the closing ceremony of the Junior Command Course at the Ghana Police Command and Staff College at Winneba in the Central region.

“Let me assure you that the Ghana Police Service remains committed to enforcing road traffic regulation without fear or favour. As part of Ghana Police reformation strategies, the Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate will undergo a robust restructuring. The objective is to establish a more professional and civil oriented Motor Traffic and Transport Department that will effectively discharge its mandate without reproach,” he said.

Mr. Asante-Apeatu announced that, he had directed a nationwide recruitment and retraining process to equip officers of the MTTD with the skill to deliver on their mandate.

“The department deserves a new look. In this regard, I have directed a nationwide internal recruitment, screening, and retraining of all personnel who will constitute the MTTD. When this is done, I’m expecting nothing but world-class police officers, who better serve all of us road users.”

He further expressed the hope that following the restructuring process, the MTTD will deal decisively with recalcitrant road users.

“I’m expecting a traffic department that will decisively deal with recalcitrant and reckless road users. Above all, I’m expecting a traffic police department that will add more value to our work.”

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

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There have been complaints of gridlocks in parts of the Accra metropolis with some attributing it to the absence of Police personnel on the roads, the indiscipline of drivers and other road users.

But speaking on Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the MTTD, Inspector Simon Tenku indicated that the MTTD, as part of its strategy to manage the traffic situation in the capital, has deployed personnel who patrol on motorbikes and on foot to ensure order and free flow of traffic.

“Generally we look at the where the situation is much problematic and I must say that with those on motorbikes, they do patrol and wherever they find the situation chaotic, they make their presence felt over there. ”

He also attributed the traffic build up to the upcoming Christmas season which he said encouraged most people from different parts of the country to travel to the Accra especially the central business district.

“The season we find ourselves in has somewhat become a perennial affair. Christmas is just around the corner and the traffic build up is not just within the Accra-Tema metropolis a lot of vehicles are coming from the hinterlands and some even from the West Coast to do their shopping in Accra so the buildup is becoming a challenge.”

“Another problem we face especially in the Central Business district is, we have a challenge with parking space and this is because of the demand and more people trooping towards the Central Business district.”

He however noted that the Police administration was “on top of the issues and there is a national operational order to make sure some of these things are checked.”

‘Heavy traffic frustrate drivers’

Ahead of this year’s Christmas festivities, many drivers have expressed dissatisfaction at the traffic situation in Accra. Most highways in the capital are consistently characterised by heavy vehicular traffic.

Some passengers have said the situation is affecting their productivity as they often have to spend working hours in traffic and sometimes leave the office early enough to avoid the rush hour in the evening.

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By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana
Follow @jnyabor

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