The Brong-Ahafo Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service has begun operations during weekends to help check road crashes and armed robbery.

This was announced to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview with Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Teddy Damptey Brown, Brong-Ahafo Regional Commander of MTTU in Sunyani on Friday.

He explained that because the Police was off the road during weekends, most people without a driver’s licence used vehicles for commercial purposes sometimes resulting in road crashes.

ASP Brown said some drivers with defects on their vehicles operated during weekends while some armed robbers also take advantage to rob passengers and pedestrians.

He said the operations were conducted Sundays after church service through-out the night.

ASP Brown said the Region recorded 152 road crashes involving 168 vehicles and 48 motor bikes during the first quarter of this year, during which 53 died, 221 received injuries 43 of them in critical conditions.

He said 13 out of 47 drivers arrested for various traffic offences and prosecuted were fined GH¢2,052 with 34 cases under investigations and a case waiting trial.

ASP Brown said some of the offences were speeding, over loading, wrong over taking, driving without licence, vehicles with defects, disobeying road and traffic regulations.

He pointed out that the use of tricycles and motor bikes for commercial purposes was against the law and that drivers arrested for engaging in such activities would be prosecuted.

ASP Brown, therefore, advised the general public to refrain from engaging the services of tricycle and motor bike riders for commercial activities since they were designed for private use.