Sunyani Municipal advises drivers to be extra cautious

Sunyani (B/A), April 21, GNA - Mr Richard Yaw Amankwaah, Sunyani Municipal Secretary of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), has advised drivers in the Municipality to be guided by their professional code of ethics as we observe the Easter celebrations to save lives and property.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Thursday, Mr Amankwaah said, occasions such as Easter, usually 93give room for commercial drivers to make heavy business because of the increasing number of passengers.

"In such situations commercial drivers need to exercise restraint to avoid casualties on our roads", he said and noted that some drivers tended to overlook important road signs and regulations in order to make more sales.

The Municipal Secretary said transport owners failed to maintain their vehicles, which did not augur well for the safety of passengers and drivers themselves.

Mr Amankwaah said since last Tuesday Yutong buses that plied the Sunyani-Accra route, had run short in view of rush demand of traveling passengers, either individuals or groups for church conventions. He explained that on normal days the Sunyani-Accra station operated with at most six buses a day, but since last Wednesday April 20 because of the increasing number of passengers, the Municipal office of the Union had managed to increase the fleet of the buses to 13.

When the GNA visited the Sunyani-Accra Yutong station on Thursday morning, it observed long queues of passengers. The normal ticket of GH¢16.00 got exhausted as at 1000 hours, compelling some of the travelers to opt for the VIP ticket of GH¢23.00 each, which got finished in not time. Mr Amankwaah gave assurance that some more buses would arrive to take-off at 2200 hours for the trip to Accra with more passengers.

Meanwhile, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Command of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Police Service had deployed police personnel to various highways in the region to check drivers against offences such as drunk-driving, unnecessary overtaking and speeding. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Paul Wesley Baah, Regional MTTU commander told the GNA that the Command had also put in place other measures to minimize accidents. He said the police would tow any vehicle found parked at an unauthorized place and their owners would be made to face the full rigours of the law.

ASP Baah appealed to owners and drivers of commercial vehicles to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles before they set-off on the road.

He said in the first quarter of the year, the Command recorded 133 road accidents involving 165 vehicles, claiming 38 lives and injuring 149 persons. The first quarter of 2010, however, recorded 200 accidents, 279 vehicles in accidents with 48 deaths and 416 injured persons. He explained that the command continued to hold series of public education on road safety on radio station and commended the media for their contribution to the reduction in road accidents. ASP Baah deplored the practice by some drivers talking on phone whilst driving, saying it was a major contributory factor to accidents.

He also appealed to motor riders to ensure that they wore their crash helmets anytime they were on the road. ASP Baah noted that minimizing road accidents was a shared responsibility and advised the general public to lend their support especially during the Easter yuletide. 21 April 11