Commercial drivers immobilise vehicles in Takoradi

Most commercial drivers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis on Monday stationed their vehicles at home to avoid being inspected for their road worthiness and other driving documents as required by law.

The Ghana News Agency team in Takoradi observed that many passengers were stranded at the roadside while others had formed long queues at the various lorry stations, waiting anxiously for the few available vehicles to work.

Some drivers, in an interview with the GNA, said although their vehicles were road worthy, they were scared the police would still find faults with them and cause their arrest, hence their decision to leave the vehicles at home.

Other drivers also suggested that they will as usual go to work but would ply different routes if they noticed the police presence on a particular road.

This action follows the special road traffic exercise embarked upon by the Ghana Police Service in the Metropolis to inspect driving licenses, fire-extinguishers, triangles, First Aid Boxes, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) certificates amongst others, in order to ensure that road worthy vehicles complied with road regulations.

The GNA also noticed that there was unusual traffic congestion on the roads because the police had stopped vehicles at various road intersections to inspect their particulars.

Most commercial drivers told the GNA that they had parked their vehicles because they could not meet the requirements made by the police.

When the GNA inquired further about their preparations ahead of the announced exercise, many drivers claimed the vehicles did not belong to them and, therefore, the owners were supposed to provide the necessary financial resources for maintenance as well as for the acquisition of other road documents.