By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, April 07, GNA – The Central Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) says, it has deployed many undercover operatives dubbed, “Mystery Passengers” to check compliance with safety regulations on commercial vehicles across the region.
The mystery passengers are randomly selected passengers who have been coached to monitor transport operators, particularly drivers’ strict adherence to road traffic regulations before, during and after the Easter celebrations.
Ms Linda Affotey-Annang, the Regional Head, said the initiative formed part of efforts to stern the tide of road crashes often associated with festivities.
They will be placed on various highways across the region to monitor and provide the Authority with real-time feedback to deal with recalcitrant drivers by the law.
“We have deployed many mystery passengers on our accident-prone routes such as Kasoa-Mnakessim-Komenda, Yamoransa-Fosu-Assin-Praso and Cape Coast –Twifo Praso roads, among others.
“The mystery passengers will join the trips ununiformed and once we have confirmation that something untoward has happened, we will act on such evidence received from our mystery passengers,” she indicated.
Supported by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department of the Ghana Police Service and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, it has also started an operation to compulsorily remove all breakdown vehicles from the country’s highways.
The exercise, which started on Wednesday, is intended to prevent avoidable road crashes, injuries, and deaths (CIDs) during the Easter festivities.
In line with Regulation 102 (1) and (10) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), the Authority would exercise the power to remove breakdown vehicles to safer locations “and surcharge the owners or persons in charge of the vehicles or trailers with the cost of removal and storage for immediate payment before the release of the vehicles or trailers to the owners or individuals in charge”.
She, therefore, charged owners or operators of vehicles to ensure that they immediately tow their vehicles from the roads in case of a breakdown or be prepared to face sanctions such as surcharges from the authority.
Assuring passengers of safe travel, she said that no effort would be spared to help drivers to operate within the traffic regulations, to prevent innocent lives from being lost, and people from getting maimed and having to live with permanent deformities.
For that matter, she encouraged passengers to be bold to report drivers who showed careless disregard for safety, on NRSA toll-free number 194 or the police on 191 or 18555.
“Everyone should accept responsibility and help to bring down the carnage on the roads.”
GNA