A day’s educational programme has been organised for taxi drivers who are members of the Railways Drivers Association on how to avoid carjacking in Accra.
The programme organised last Sunday by the Public Affairs Unit of the Accra Regional Police Command followed the increase in carjacking cases in the Accra metropolis.
The Accra Regional Police Public Relations Officer (PRO), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Effia Tenge, in her remarks, said 11 of such cases had been recorded by the Command in a month.
DSP Tenge stressed the need to educate the drivers on security tips, stating that cases involving carjacking were alarming.
She said the modus operandi by the criminals included test drive, where criminals requested for test driving of a car ahead of its purchase and in the process snatched the vehicles from owners.
“Contact information displayed on vehicles intended allowed criminals to engage owners and snatch the vehicles during negotiation process,” she added.
DSP Tenge urged drivers to decline offers that would take them to remote areas and be suspicious of passengers who requested other friends to board the vehicles halfway through the journey.
“Keep vehicle document separately and note chassis numbers and also drive to the nearest police station or snap checkpoint for help on the least suspicion,” she added.
She asked drivers to desist from taking drinks from customers as such offers were meant to sedate them to steal their cars
The PRO said similar meetings would be organised for other drivers in the metropolis.
The Chairman of the Railways Taxi Drivers Association, Mr Nii Eric Kwaofio, commended the personnel of the Command for the initiative.
He said it would go a long way to remind the drivers on how to reduce carjacking in the course of their work.
The Chairman called on the Command for more of such engagements.
BY ANITA NYARKO-YIRENKYI
