THE Police Administration has issued an ultimatum to transport owners in the country to implement the use of log record books as a measure to check speeding which contributes to the carnage on the roads.
Accordingly, the Inspector-General of Police, after a meeting with transport owners, has sent a wireless message to all police officials at the various border and security posts to enforce the rule which takes effect from February 18, 2011.
Confirming the directive to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr Angwubutoge Awuni, said it was in compliance with Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 953, Section 55 of the Transport Regulations which, among others, stipulate that after a mandatory driving of four hours, 30 minutes of rest time must be observed.
He added that under the regulations, after eight hours of cumulative driving, a driver was required to stay off driving for the rest of the day, noting, however, that that directive had been flouted over the years.
Explaining how the log book application worked, he said long-distance transport owners were expected to make entries of what times the vehicles departed, which would be monitored by security personnel at the various check-points.
The security personnel, he noted, who would then determine whether the arrival of the vehicle at a destination was timely or not.
He stated, for instance, that if a vehicle from Accra arrived in Kumasi in two hours, instead of the normal four hours, it stood to reason that the driver of the said vehicle had sped and was thus liable for prosecution.
Mr Awuni recalled that some time past commercial transport owners met to agree on the system of log books but the decision could not be implemented, since there had been no monitoring mechanism and that this time around the Police Administration was poised to vigorously enforce the law to the letter.
In addition to using log books, the police officer indicated, transport owners were expected to ensure that their vehicles were in good shape before embarking on journeys, since any defects identified on vehicles would not be countenanced.
The Ghana Police Service, alarmed by the 123 lives that have already been lost through road traffic accidents since the beginning of this year, has announced a number of measures to deal with the carnage on the roads.
They include a vigorous campaign to arrest and prosecute recalcitrant drivers, a more combative enforcement of road traffic regulations and the punishment of police officers within whose jurisdictions avoidable accidents occur.
Rampant checks will also to be made at lorry parks, in collaboration with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), to ensure that drivers are fresh and fit before embarking on journeys.
The MTTU also announced a ban on the use of mobile phones while driving.
Accordingly, the Inspector-General of Police, after a meeting with transport owners, has sent a wireless message to all police officials at the various border and security posts to enforce the rule which takes effect from February 18, 2011.
Confirming the directive to the Daily Graphic in Accra, the Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mr Angwubutoge Awuni, said it was in compliance with Legislative Instrument (L.I.) 953, Section 55 of the Transport Regulations which, among others, stipulate that after a mandatory driving of four hours, 30 minutes of rest time must be observed.
He added that under the regulations, after eight hours of cumulative driving, a driver was required to stay off driving for the rest of the day, noting, however, that that directive had been flouted over the years.
Explaining how the log book application worked, he said long-distance transport owners were expected to make entries of what times the vehicles departed, which would be monitored by security personnel at the various check-points.
The security personnel, he noted, who would then determine whether the arrival of the vehicle at a destination was timely or not.
He stated, for instance, that if a vehicle from Accra arrived in Kumasi in two hours, instead of the normal four hours, it stood to reason that the driver of the said vehicle had sped and was thus liable for prosecution.
Mr Awuni recalled that some time past commercial transport owners met to agree on the system of log books but the decision could not be implemented, since there had been no monitoring mechanism and that this time around the Police Administration was poised to vigorously enforce the law to the letter.
In addition to using log books, the police officer indicated, transport owners were expected to ensure that their vehicles were in good shape before embarking on journeys, since any defects identified on vehicles would not be countenanced.
The Ghana Police Service, alarmed by the 123 lives that have already been lost through road traffic accidents since the beginning of this year, has announced a number of measures to deal with the carnage on the roads.
They include a vigorous campaign to arrest and prosecute recalcitrant drivers, a more combative enforcement of road traffic regulations and the punishment of police officers within whose jurisdictions avoidable accidents occur.
Rampant checks will also to be made at lorry parks, in collaboration with the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), to ensure that drivers are fresh and fit before embarking on journeys.
The MTTU also announced a ban on the use of mobile phones while driving.
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