Driving without knowlegde of the Road Traffic Act is an offence-MTTD Deputy Chief

The Deputy Director-General of the Motto Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent Dr. Sasu Mensah has indicated that it is illegal to drive without knowledge of the Road Traffic Regulations Act.

He said apart from the training organized by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) for prospective drivers, the drivers must also be in the know of what pertains to the Road Act.

The Deputy MTTD Chief was speaking during a courtesy call Crime Check Foundation (CCF) paid on him as part of the OSIWA funded ‘Decriminalizing Vagrancy Laws and Advocacy’ project on Thursday, January 21, 2022.

The visit was to seek collaboration with the MTTD, to fashion out ways to promote the welfare of drivers, especially those who drive commercial vehicles.

According to Superintendent Mensah, ignorance on the part of drivers on road regulations has been the major cause of crashes claiming six lives every day. He said because of that, every driver must learn the Road Traffic Regulations Act irrespective of one’s educational status.

“Every driver must know what the road act is about and what is in it. It is a guide for drivers on the road and if a driver does not know the act, it is against the law and the person must be prosecuted because the road crashes are too much despite our efforts to educate them on road regulations.

He added, “even if you are illiterate, you must know the Act. As for us, we are doing our job to educate them on some of the regulations at the lorry stations.”

Superintendent Mensah was, however, excited about the partnership with CCF to further educate the drivers.

“If it is a collaboration to sensitize the drivers on road traffic regulations, we are all for it,” he said.

About OSIWA

Established in 2000, the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA) is a grant-making and advocacy organization focused on equality, justice, democratic governance, human rights, and knowledge generation. It is part of the global network of Open Society Foundations spread across 37 countries around the world.  

By Rudolph Nandi

Email: rudnankp4@gmail.com