Madina Police arrest 40 drivers

Accra, Aug. 29, GNA - The Motto Traffic and Transport Unit of the Madina Divisional Police Command, has apprehended 40 drivers and their buses for various traffic offences this week. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Mr James Owusu Mensah, Divisional Commander, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Friday that his outfit had wage war against indiscipline on the roads and would spare no one.

He said the drivers were arrested for offences such as driving on the shoulders of the road, refusing to adhere to road signs, driving under the influence of alcohol, driving with an under-weight driving license, and usage of defected vehicle and number plates. ASP Owusu Mensah said most of the drivers were arrested at the new overhead being constructed at the Atomic Junction, near Madina, where road signs in the area h ave destroyed due to lack of adherence to traffic regulations.

He appealed to the Madina Metropolitan Assembly to help the Madina Police to remove all traders, who sell on the roads and the pedestrian pavements from Zongo Junction to the Social Welfare area. The Commander also advised the vehicle owners to always ensure that their drivers possessed the requisite driving licenses before allowing them to drive. He said of the forty drivers arrested, 21 have already appeared before the Madina Magistrate Court Grade I, who were slapped with a fine ranging between GH¢60 and GH¢240. He added that the rest 19 drivers would also be prosecuted.

Giving the accident statistics within the Madina-Adenta jurisdiction, he said, between January and June 2007, 109 accidents involving 165 vehicles with three fatalities were recorded. He noted that between the same period this year, 98 accidents involving 156 vehicles and one fatality occurred. He emphasized that, due to the regular road checks, accidents within his jurisdiction have reduced drastically and added that the exercise would continue until there was sanity on the road. 29 Aug. 08