MTTU trains personnel

Story: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Bolgatanga The Commanding Officer of the National Motor Traffic and Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police, (ACP), Mr. Angwubotoge Awuni has charged personnel of the unit to work extra hard to help rid Ghana’ s transportation system of the numerous challenges that pose a threat to road users. Speaking at a capacity building workshop for police personnel drawn from the Upper East, Upper West, Northern and Brong Ahafo regions at the Pwalugu Police Training School aimed at educating and creating the necessary awareness on how to enforce the new Road Traffic Regulations, L.I. 2180 of 2012, ACP Awuni noted that the key to achieving the objectives of the UN Decade of Action for Road Safety was improved enforcement of the relevant laws. He said The UN Decade of Action for Road Safety instituted in 2011 to reduce fatalities attributable to traffic accidents by 50 percent is hinged on six pillars; these are safer roads, improved road safety management, safer vehicles, safer road users, improved post-crash response and improve enforcement. ACP Awuni said improved enforcement requires the necessary legal backing and hence the introduction of the new L.I. which seeks to fill in the gap in respect of legislation and enforcement. He stressed with the regulation in place some of the bad practices such as the use of mobile phones and the operation of television monitors on the dash boards on vehicles when driving, use of hand held communication devices such mobile phones to make or receive calls, send or receive messages or access the internet when driving is illegal among others are all unlawful adding the prohibition of the use of these devices will greatly minimise road traffic accidents. He noted that the new regulation makes provision for towing services and said this is expected to rid the road of broken down vehicles which obstruct traffic on the road and sometimes cause serious accidents. He also touched on the regulations that prohibit the use of motor cycles for commercial purposes. He therefore tasked the personnel to be abreast of the provisions of the law in order to maintain safety on the roads. He also gave the assurance that the Police Service and for that matter the MTTU will hold series of education and create the needed awareness to ensure the effective and efficient enforcement of the content of the regulations. Giving an overview of Road Traffic Accidents and other related Traffic Regulations, the officer in charge of education, research and training, Assistant Superintendent of Police, (ACP), Mr. A. K. Obeng said between January 1, 2012 and June 2012, a total of 7,172 cases, involving 10,572 vehicles. Out of the number, 1,444 persons died while 7,165 of them sustained injuries. Mr. Obeng attributed the causes to road user indiscipline, abuse of road markings and signs, intolerance, over speeding and driving under the influence of alcohol and fatigue driving amongst other. He urged the participants to be vigilant and ensure strict compliance to the law to avert some of these deaths. Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mr. Samuel Sasu-Mensah also underscored the need for ethical and professionalism on the part of the personnel in order to achieve the desire goal of the service. Earlier in a welcoming address, the Upper East Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police, (DCOP), Mr. Bright Oduro expressed the hope that the participants will after the workshop discharge their duties effectively to reduce the carnage on the roads. July 26, 2012