The 13 drivers who were apprehended for road infractions as part of Citi TV’s War Against Indiscipline on Wednesday [September 22, 2021] on the Legon bypass in Accra, are expected in court today, Thursday.
The offenders included the Member of Parliament (MP) for Sissala West, Mohammed Sukparu, and the Greater Accra Director of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Archibald Cobbinah, who were captured driving against traffic rules while illegally using sirens and strobe lights.
Most of the drivers arrested cited emergency as the reason for their offense.
Speaking to Citi News, the Director of Operations of the Police MTTD, Supt. Dr. Sasu Mensah called on motorists to obey traffic regulations for their own safety.
He also downplayed the excuse of emergency by the drivers.
According to him, if one has an emergency, he must leave home early to beat time.
“There is a requirement under the law for emergency drivers who drive vehicles on the road, and they are not part of such class of people. So they cannot be exempted. The thrust of the issue is that, if you have an emergency, you just have to start your driving very early so that you can beat time.”
Recently, some drivers who were arrested on Wednesday [September 8, 2021] for various road traffic offenses during the exercise, were made to hold placards in the medians of the Abeka Junction intersection and the Cocobod section of the Kwame Nkrumah Avenue.
The placards they held had the inscription; ‘I WILL NOT DRIVE CARELESSLY AGAIN’ for a week as punishment.
In addition to that punishment, they were also fined GHS600.
They were arrested on the Legon Boundary Road, near GIMPA.
The offenders were drivers who were using the shoulders of the road, making calls while driving, and driving with expired licenses.
About War Against Indiscipline
The #WarAgainstIndiscipline – Be the change campaign is aimed at helping to avert the increasing loss of lives through road crashes.
In May 2019, the station began the campaign against all forms of indiscipline in the country.
The exercise took the nation by surprise when it partnered with the Ghana Police Service to arrest errant drivers, process them for court, and have them fined.
It covered roads noted for reckless driving within and outside Accra.
These roads include Spintex, Legon by-pass, Dawhenya, Pokuase-Amasaman, Kasoa-Weija, Adenta-Dodowa among others.
The campaign is aimed at checking indiscipline on roads and also targeted at putting regulatory bodies on their toes to ensure that the various road safety laws are enforced.
It also seeks to compel drivers to stay within speed limits.
