Heavy trucks cause vehicular traffic after police lifts night ban
Barely less than five hours after it was announced by the police administration yesterday February, 2, 2011 that it has lifted the ban that stopped heavy duty trucks from moving on the highways after 1800 hours, many heavy duty trucks were seen on the highways moving in convoys.
On the uncompleted (Millennium Development Authority) MiDA funded George Bush Motorway which connects to the Achimota road leading to Kumasi and other parts of the country, ghanabusinessnews.com observed these heavy duty trucks moving in convoys of four and five around 19:30 hours in the night.
Due to the ongoing construction of the road, there is only a one-way route for vehicles both coming and going. These trucks therefore caused vehicular traffic making it impossible for smaller vehicles to move on.
It was clear that these trucks who were from the industrial city of the country, Tema were waiting for the next morning to move.
This reporter also observed that the trucks were carrying loads of floor, rice, sugar and other general goods.
It would be recalled that a directive from the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Paul Tawiah Quaye, directed all Regional Police Commanders to enforce the ban that no heavy duty trucks travel after 18:00 hours.
This directive led to a demonstration by some cocoa haulage truck drivers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis at the Cocoa Village at Beahu, a Ghana News Agency report had said.
According to the report, during the demonstration the truck drivers, numbering over 100, burnt car tyres at the entrance of the Cocoa Village and prevented other trucks loaded with cocoa from entering the Cocoa Village yard.
The drivers accused the police of taking advantage of the ban to extort money from them.
“The ban would create inconvenience for them since most trucks prefer moving at night when the traffic congestion had reduced considerably”, the GNA said citing Mohammed Issaka, a truck driver.
He added that the ban would force truck drivers to speed to get to their destinations to avoid being arrested and that could lead to more road accidents.
By Ekow Quandzie