Drivers pay over GH¢41,000 court fines in Eastern Region

About 114 drivers were sent to court in the first quarter of 2013 for various road traffic offences in the Eastern Region and were made to pay a total of GH¢41,352.00 as fines.

The offences committed by the drivers included overloading, wrongful overtaking, over speeding, jumping of red lights and driving without the requisite driving license.

This was disclosed by the Eastern Regional Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU), Chief Superintendent Samuel K. Tetteh, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Koforidua on Wednesday.

He said in all 265 drivers were arrested by his outfit and 233 sent to court and out of that number, 114 were convicted.

He said 15 cases were awaiting trial while 14 were acquitted and discharged.

A total of five offending drivers were under investigation while bench warrants were issued for the arrest of 92.

Chief Superintendent Tetteh expressed worry that in spite of all the road safety campaigns the regional office of the MTTU was undertaking, drivers were not complying with the rules and kept on misbehaving.

He said what was disturbing were drivers, who refused to adhere to permissible driving speed limits of between 30 and 50 Kilometers per hour in towns and villages.

Chief Superintendent Tetteh said drivers still over-speed and continue to knock down people on the roads.

He called on the general public to take interest in road safety matters adding that they should report indiscipline drivers to the authorities.

Chief Superintendent Tetteh cautioned that his outfit would be harder on recalcitrant drivers until they change their attitude.

Source: GNA