Story: Jasmine Afari-Mintah
FIFTY officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service have received training in traffic law enforcement to improve road safety in the country.
The training, organised by Toptech Drive Consult (TTDC), sought to deepen the skills of MTTU officials on traffic laws and road safety offences.
It was also aimed at educating the police on safety measures on the road and some common causes of motor accidents.
At the opening of the training in Accra, the Commander of the MTTU, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Daniel J. Avorga, said the effectiveness and efficiency of the police in the performance of their duties were undermined by the lack of training, motivation and modern equipment.
“The dynamics of the world today require an astute policeman with the requisite knowledge and expertise to match the challenges of the modern world,” he added.
He said Ghanaians had a role to play in ensuring that roads were safe, either as individuals or organisations, noting that the unit would not entertain drivers who disregarded driving regulations and created problems on the roads.
ACP Avorga observed that it took vigorous enforcement of the law by the police to achieve compliance, since the mere enactment of laws was not enough to deter road traffic offenders.
He said the budget of the Police Service was not enough to organise periodic training for personnel and urged individuals and organisation to support the service.
He said the Police Training School would soon be ready to train police officials, as well as some civilians, on road safety measures to save lives on the roads.
The Executive Director of TTDC, Mr Cecil Ebow Garbrah, said road safety was an issue of national interest.
He said the need to use enforcement, along with educational and environmental strategies, must be the country’s primary goal in order to save lives and property.
Mr Garbrah commended the MTTU officers for their selfless services and called on them to uplift the image of the profession.
“Be firm as far as your duty is concerned,” he emphasised.
He said the use of selective enforcement strategies which were designed to target high risk road user behaviour and traffic accident locations was cost effective, saying that Ghanaians must change their altitudes to improve road safety.
He said his office would organise the training every year to develop training programmes to sharpen the skills of the police.
He donated a computer with an installed road safety software to the MTTU, with a pledge to give two vehicles to the unit to train more personnel on road safety.
Miss Ghana 2008, Ms Mawuse Appea, said she desired to work with stakeholders in the transport industry to reduce road accidents in the country.
She appealed to the MTTU officials to arrest all drivers who flouted road regulations and put them before the law courts.
50 Receive training in motor traffic law
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