EDUCATE DRIVERS ON LAWS OF ROAD SAFETY ACT (PAGE 20)

Sstory: Samuel Duodu, Sunyani

THE Brong Ahafo Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) James Oppong-Boanuh, has appealed to the various transport unions in the Sunyani Municipality to educate their members on the laws relating to the Road Traffic Act, 204 (ACT 683) in order not to fall foul of the law.
He also urged all road users in the municipality, both commercial and private, to be abreast of matters relating to road safety and the law to ensure a harmonious relationship between them and the police.
He, therefore, urged commercial drivers, especially taxi drivers in the municipality, to discard the notion that the police was there to harass them.
DCOP Oppong-Boanuh made the appealed in response to concerns raised by a section of taxi drivers in the municipality on Thursday that they were being harassed by the police on the roads and the slightest offence they were also hauled before the law courts.
He stated that the police were there to enforce the laws in the country, which were being applied everywhere and therefore the police in the course of the discharge of their duties would not target a section of the populace as was being perceived by the taxi drivers in the municipality.
The Regional Police Commander also urged the leadership of the various unions to impress upon their members to endeavour to operate within the confines of the Road Traffic ACT, which had been in existence since 2004, saying that it was not any new law that is being enforced as they perceived.
Touching on the fines imposed by the law courts for traffic offences, DCOP Oppong-Boanuh stated that the judges were only applying the penalties or punishments prescribed by the law, saying that a traffic offence such as failing to stop when signalled by the police to do so even attracted a fine of 250 penalty units. A penalty unit is GH¢12 (¢120,000).
“The police are only enforcing the law and the law courts are also imposing the fines as prescribed by law and therefore it should not be perceived as a form of harassment, but to ensure that there is disciplined and safety on the roads,” the Regional Police Commander observed.
He appealed to drivers to be courteous and disciplined at all times and cooperate with the police to ensure safety on the roads.
A section of taxi drivers in the Sunyani Municipality on Thursday converged on the forecourt of the Regional Co-ordinating Council (RCC) to channel their concerns, about what they termed as police harassment of taxi drivers in the municipality, to the Regional Minister, Mr Ignatius Baffour Awuah.
The Regional Minister in his response to their concerns urged them to be polite, courteous and cooperate with the police to ensure discipline and safety on the roads.