Abuse of spot-fine would not be tolerated – MTTU Boss

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Angwubotoge Awuni, Director of the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), has warned that abuse of the spot fines on drivers for specific road traffic offences would not be tolerated.

They would not allow any police officer to take advantage of the policy to short-change road users and therefore those not mandated to collect the fines should stay away to save themselves from trouble, he said.

He said a special task force made up of the police, ticket holders, financial institutions, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authourity (DVLA), National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and other stakeholders would handle it.

ACP Awuni was speaking at the opening session a three-day sensitisation workshop on the policy at the Noda Hotel in Kumasi for personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) from across the country.

He said the delay in the implementation is to allow sufficient time for public education before they begin testing the programme in Kumasi, Accra and Tema.

He urged the police to step up their routine duties of ensuring sanity on the roads.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Augustine Gyening, Ashanti Regional Police Commander, reminded them to be professional and avoid corrupt practices likely to create image problems for the service.

He reminded them of the need to be alert and thoroughly check documents on vehicles to prevent criminals from slipping through.

Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Director for Research, Monitoring and Evaluation of the NRSC, said the spot fines would help to ensure road safety and cut down cut down road traffic accidents by about 50 percent by year 2020.

He said the growing fatalities on the roads needs to be tackled head-on.

Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sasu Mensah, Officer in charge of Operations at the MTTD, said it would not only reduce indiscipline on the roads but pressure on the courts for minor offences.

Source: GNA