Road Safety Authority shows MMDAs teeth for illegal permits for tricycle owners

The National Road Safety Authority has exercised its enforcement mandate and has ordered six metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) to cease any act or omission that directly or indirectly allows the illegal use of tricycles for services. of paying passengers.

The Authority subsequently threatened that it would not hesitate to seek an enforceable title if they did not implement the corrective measures required within one month of the directive.

According to the Authority, Regulation 128 of the 2012 Road Traffic Regulations (LI2180) prohibits tricycles for paying passengers.

“Despite the unambiguous position of Regulation 128, there is evidence to confirm that MMDAs here are acting against the law by allowing the use of tricycles for paid passenger services by issuing paid stickers or approving terminals at this. end. ” ‘

The Authority considers this action of the Assemblies as a threat to road safety. He explains that the make and construction of the tricycles do not meet the specifications for passenger transport vehicles as provided by regulation 127 of LI 2180.

In a letter signed by the Director General of the Authority, Ing. (Ms.) May Obiri-Yeboah, and in copy to some six metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies, the Authority argues that the bodywork and construction of the tricycles make them unsafe or unsuitable for carrying passengers.

The tricycle has open sides and is without seat belts for the driver and passengers.

The recipients are the Municipal Assembly of New Juaben, the Municipal Assembly of Asokore Mampong and the Municipal Assembly of Berekum. The others are Tafo Municipal Assembly, Bongo Municipal Assembly and Bawku Municipal Assembly.

According to the Authority, it is vested with the public duty to reduce road accidents and victims by issuing compliance notices or directives, when it appears to the Authority that a company in the road environment constitutes a threat to road safety.

“The emergence and use of motorcycles and tricycles appear to threaten the considerable gains made in improving the national road safety situation. “The number of deaths and injuries related to motorcycles and tricycles has increased by 87% over the past five years,” he reveals.