Fourteen people have been arrested in Bolgatanga for a number of road-safety-related offences.

The arrests were made when the Upper East Regional Police Command launched a special operation Friday against gross traffic indiscipline in the regional capital.

The accused persons are expected to appear in court next Monday for charges including driving with expired license and expired roadworthiness certificates, riding unregistered motorcycles, driving without seat belts and riding without protective crash helmets among others.

The exercise came as a surprise to residents of the regional capital, where an overwhelming majority of road users, to a mute displeasure of some observers, show no regard for road safety rules and regulations.

Political interference has remained a major challenge to the enforcement of the law in the wake of any breach of traffic laws. Addressing journalists at the close of the operation, the Upper East Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku, said he expected such politicians to rather show good examples.

“People believe that by virtue of social status - I am this, I am that - they must live above the road traffic regulations. Please, when it comes to the issue of the road, it is no respecter of social status. It’s a matter of your life and the lives of other persons who are using the road. Let us all comply, especially those of us in authority, so that we can set that example to the ordinary people to follow. We have recorded a number of needless fatalities due to noncompliance,” the Regional Commander stressed.

DCOP Afeku also pointed out that the exercise would be replicated in the other areas of the region.

“Seeing us here today, you may not see us here tomorrow. We will go to other strategic points to carry out this exercise. Statistically, it has been seen that over 90 percent of crashes on the road is due to driver and other road users’ behaviour. Only two percent or a little bit more is due to the vehicle condition or the nature of the road,” he added.

According to the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), at least 192 road crashes were recorded in the region in 2015. The crashes left 183 people injured and 64 dead.