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Regional News of Friday, 11 February 2005

Source: GNA

Re-testing of Drivers to be enforced in Tema

Kpone, Feb. 11, GNA -- The Tema Police Motor Traffic Unit (MTU), will this year collaborate with the Licensing Authority to ensure that the rule of re-testing of drivers are enforced to help reduce accidents in the municipality.

The Tema MTU Deputy Superintendent of Police, Prosper Ayisi, who announced this on Thursday, added that he would apply to the courts for enforcement on this measure.

He hoped this, when introduced, would also help change trend of events in the Municipality as drivers would be guided by this rule and change from their old bad attitudes on the roads.

He was speaking at a training of trainers programme organised by the Kpone branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) for 60 of its Union members at Kpone, near Tema.

This is the second branch of drivers undergoing the training as part of a road safety outreach campaign, which was launched last year in the Municipality.

DSP. Ayisi expressed concern about accidents caused as a result of overtaking, over speeding, driving under the influence of alcohol and lack of vehicle maintenance and advised vehicle owners especially to make sure their vehicles are always in good shape before allowing it to be on the roads.

He said because accidents are not caused by drivers alone his unit has also decided to move to churches to ensure that pedestrians also have education on the use of the roads.

The Secretary of Kpone GPRTU, Mr. Emmanuel Tetteh, said although drivers have undergone testing even before acquiring their license such programmes were necessary to upgrade their skills because some might have acquired their license for more than 10 years now.

He expressed regrets about the behaviours of some drivers on the roads and their attitude towards pedestrians and hoped the various union executives would consider organising such training programmes for their members to ensure accident free on the roads.