Police fight road indiscipline in Upper East Region(J/Graphic Wednesday, November 3-9,2010.Page 3)

Parents of children under 16 years have been advised to stop their wards from using motorbikes since that breached the Motor Traffic Regulations.According to the Upper East Regional Police Public Relations Officer, Chief Inspector Thomas Agbanyo, it had been observed that parents send their children with their motorbikes to run errands for them or use them as a means of transport to school.He noted though that sometimes, the children used the motorbikes without the knowledge of their parents.“The most unfortunate aspect of this is that such children do not wear crash helmets and also allow their friends to ride with them as pillions”, Chief Inspector Agbanyo said in a press release.He noted that in some instances, some parents carry as many as three or four schoolchildren on a motor bike to and from school, ignoring all safety requirements and warned that the police would not spare anyone caught in that act.Chief Inspector Agbanyo cautioned parents to desist from handing over their motorbikes to their children adding that, personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) would not relent in their efforts at arresting children who ride motor bikes together with pillion riders stressing that parents of such children would have to answer charges of infringing on road traffic regulations.Most families in the Upper East Region depend on the use of motorbikes as a means of transport and in cases where there are no motorbikes, they resort to the use of bicycles or trek on foot over long distances to run errands or attend school.