Fumesua, Sept. 30, GNA - Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Angwubotoge Awuni, Commander of the Motor Traffic Transport Unit (MTTU), ha= s underlined the need for firm and drastic measures to end the carnage on the roads.

"The culture of impunity, indiscipline and recklessness on the roads would have to stop now," he stressed.

To tackle the problem, ACP Awuni asked police personnel to be morally upright and display a high sense of professionalism in the discharge of their duties.

ACP Awuni was speaking at a day's seminar on emerging enforcement issues under the Urban Transport Project (UTP) at Fumesua near Kumasi. It brought together personnel of the MTTU, representatives of various transport unions and members of the National Road Safety Committee. The goal of the seminar was to discuss the role and responsibilities of the MTTU regarding the UTP and draw a road map for enforcement of traffic rules and regulations in the participating Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Ashanti Region.

The project is designed to improve mobility in selected MMDAs through a combination of traffic engineering measures, regulation of urban passenge= r transport and implementation of a Bus Rapid Transit System. ACP Awuni asked the police to purge themselves of all deficiencies an= d should be responsive to events on the highways and in their areas of operation.

He said their physical presence should be seen and felt at all times to assure road users of their safety and it should not be lost on them that they have statutory and moral duty to protect lives and property. ACP Awuni pledged the police administration's support for the proje= ct and said the Inspector General of Police, has given approval for the settin= g up of an Urban Transport Co-ordinating Unit at the Central MTTU to co-ordinate all enforcement activities in the participating assemblies for smooth implementation of reforms in urban transportation. Mr Samuel Sarpong, Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Chief Executive, said the seminar marked another significant step towards the implementation of the urban passenger transport programme.

He made reference to the quick-paced expansion of the Metropolis by way of population and vehicular traffic and said it was necessary for its transportation needs to be effectively serviced. "This will only be possible with a properly regulated transport secto= r that guarantees free flow of people, goods and services for rapid socio-economic development." Oheneba Adusei Poku, Akyepemhene who chaired the function, invited stakeholders to come out with fruitful suggestions to bring down the spate of car crashes on the roads.