Accra Greater Accra), 15 Mar. ?99 - The Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, last Saturday toed six vehicles to their premises for violating traffic rules on the newly launched one-way routes to and from Accra to Circle.
All the six vehicles were found parked at places earmarked either as stopping points for commercial vehicles or no-parking and no- stopping zones.
This was during the implementation exercise by personnel from the MTTU, to ensure that drivers adhered to the new traffic rules regarding the one-way routes, which became effective from Saturday. Under the new rules, vehicles moving from Circle to Accra are currently using only Kwame Nkrumah Avenue, through either UTC to Post Office or through Liberty Avenue, then to Barnes Road, to Tema Station.
Those from Accra to Circle are joining the Kojo Thompson road from their various stations, then through the Akasanoma Street to Circle.
In an interview, Mr Mustapha Garba, Commander of the MTTU, said though vehicles are allowed to stop on both sides of the road, provided there is a bus stop, they are not allowed to be parked and left there. He said such an offence would attract a fine of 50,000 cedis before the vehicle would be released to the driver, adding that the drivers of the six cars arrested would be used as examples to prevent others from repeating the mistake.
Mr Garba said vehicles are to be parked at the Rawlings Park and Globe Cinema, "and not at the bus stops, on walk-ways and by the road sides."
He expressed satisfaction over the smooth manner in which traffic was running on the new one-way routes and pledged that the MTTU would sustain the the exercise to ensure that the traffic jams that used to characterise the city is reduced to the barest minimum. Mr Garba hoped that the reduction in traffic jams would reflect during festive periods such as Easter, Christmas and Homowo adding that such defects as the green lights at traffic lights showing for a short period will soon be corrected. He advised pedestrians to use the pavements and the hawkers to use spaces beyond them to ensure smooth human traffic flow as well. Some pedestrian, who spoke to GRi said the new one-way system has made crossing of those routes easy "since one would only have to watch one side of the road before crossing." They are also happy about the free flow traffic, which has reduced the long queuing at lorry stations under the scotching sun, and the situation where passengers sweat while in traffic jam. The drivers said the free flow of traffic is aiding business "and we are sure that by Monday we would be making our sales within shorter periods."
