Eastern Region MTTU impounds 12 school buses

The Eastern Regional Command of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) has impounded 12 school buses for flouting the road traffic regulation and therefore putting the lives of school children in danger.

The drivers of the vehicles had been arraigned before court to answer road traffic offence charges.

The exercise which was code named “operation go all out” was undertaken after a three-week period given to all school vehicles to correct any defects on their vehicles.

In an interview with the GNA, the Regional MTTU Commander, Chief Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, said the vehicles were found to have violated traffic laws such as overloading, fake road worthiness certificates, worn out tyres and lack of driver's licenses on the part of some of the drivers.

He said two of the vehicles were detected to have serious cracks and therefore dangerous to all road users, had been earmarked to be written off by the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The schools that were found culpable were Pentecost Schools, which had 120 pupils instead of 60 at the time of arrest, Morning Glory International School, 58 pupils instead of 22, Rock of Ages, 45 pupils instead of 19, Frihans Educational Complex, 64 pupils instead of 33, and High Mowing International, 87 pupils instead of 50.

Others were Prince of Peace, which was carrying 45 pupils instead of 33, Ark Royal Academy, 46 pupils instead of 28, St Mary’s School, 125 pupils instead of 49, Eagle Child Academy, 39 pupils instead of 12 and Anointed Royals School, 88 pupils instead of 33.

The MTTU Commander said the operation would be continued until all school buses complied with the road traffic regulations to save innocent children from danger.

He said next time round, proprietors and school heads of the offending drivers would face prosecution since they gave their consent to their drivers to violate road safety regulations.

The story of the plight of school children who were overloaded in rickety vehicles was brought to light in a GNA report some time last year prompting the regional command to take series of actions including meeting with heads of the private schools to do the right thing.

Many private schools in the Eastern Region and the Koforidua Municipality, transport school children from specific destinations to and from school for a fee.

But most of the vehicles being used were rickety and the children were always overloaded, attracting a lot of concern from the public and that led to the exercise.**