<<Print>>

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Initiative For Global Road Safety project, has presented 20 alcohol breath test kits to the Motor Traffic Transport Department(MTTD)of the Ghana police service for use within the Accra Metropolis by the police.

The presentation was done by the new Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) of Accra , Mohammed Adjei Sowah, in the company of some directors from the AMA at a two day training workshop on drink driving enforcement standard

operating procedure organised by the AMA with support from global road safety partnership organized in Accra for selected personnel from the MTTD and the AMA city guards.

Speaking at the workshop, the MCE said, the AMA in collaboration with the Global Road Safety (GRS) will put in place proper measures to change the indiscipline culmination of excessive speeding, drink driving and non-wearing of seatbelts.

The initiative, which is under the Bloomberg project, aims to reduce the growing level of indiscipline coupled with growing human and vehicle population on roads which requires a strong and effective enforcement that should adopt strategic approach based on data and intelligence.

According to him, the objective of the workshop is to strengthen and enhance the capacity of the MTTD to understand drink-driving as a risk factor and how it affects driving, to understand the laws and policies relevant to drink driving enforcement and also apply best practice techniques during enforcement while conducting check points.

He also mentioned improving existing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for effective enforcement as another key factor of reducing road indiscipline, adding that “AMA is fully committed to the project and will remain committed to improving road safety in the metropolis”.
Sowah recalled that in 2016, 409 persons were killed out of 5215 road crushes resulting in 2405 been injured.

He said this crushes places pressure on direct medical and rehabilitation costs in addition to severe financial stress on families where victims are mostly breadwinners and are denied income for their inability to work over the period of their incapacitation.

He finally called on the police administration and all road safety stakeholders in the city of Accra particularly policy makers, private companies, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOS), transport operators, development partners and the media to participate fully in all aspects of the project.

The Deputy Director of the MTTD, who was also present at the programme, pointed out that from January to February, 2017, 713 cases have been reported with 42 persons killed and 440 persons injured.

According to him, he strongly believes the aftermath of the training will see a more professional and efficient MTTD personnel in the area of drink driving education enforcement.