Unprescribed lamps from 1,418 vehicles were removed across the country last week, in a coordinated enforcement action to improve night driving and prevent road crashes.
The operation was undertaken by the National Road Safety Authority(NRSA) in collaboration with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department(MTTD) and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), in line with Regulations 65 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180).
A statement issued by the NRSA said out of a total of the 1,418 vehicles accosted during the exercise, 900 vehicles were registered as commercial vehicles, 99 as institutional vehicles and 393 as private vehicles.
Trucks and trailers led the pack of offending vehicles with 602 representing, 42.4 per cent followed by 263 mini-buses; 179 motorcycles/tricycles; 164 saloon cars and 106 pick-ups, representing 18.5 per cent, 12.6 per cent and 11.5 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively.
It said top six regions for the abuse of Regulation 65 were Greater Accra (223); Bono (182); Bono East (121);Upper East (146);Oti(112) and Western (107), which accounted for 63.3 per cent of all offending vehicles impounded during the first week of the exercise.
The Head of Regulations, Inspections and Compliance at the NRSA, Kwame KoduahAtuahene, expressed satisfaction on the progress made and the support from MTTD and DVLA.
“We are taking one step at a time to improve upon the current road safety situation. Removing killer lamps from 1,418 vehicles means that we have potentially prevented 1,418 crashes at night.
“We expect vehicle owners and drivers to voluntarily comply with these standards or regulations while the amnesty from prosecution is still open,” the statement quoted him.
From next week, the statement said the Authority would start prosecution of offending drivers, while it considers an imposition of administrative penalties against organisationsthat failed to ensure that their vehicles comply with Regulation 65 of L.I. 2180’
The Authority had since September this year been educating the public on the requirements of Regulation 65 and the dangers associated with using excess lamps or wrong placement of lamps on our vehicles. They blind other road users and expose them to the risk of crashes at night.
The penalty for using unprescribed lamps or killer lamps is a fine of up to GH₵600 and imprisonment of up to three months or both against the offending driver.
However, in the case of vehicles registered by institutions or permitted for use by institutions without complying with Regulation 65 of the Road Traffic Regulations, the Authority may exercise its mandate to impose an administrative penalty of between 5,000 penalty units (GH₵60,000) and 10,000 penalty units (GH₵120,000).
BY TIMES REPORTER
