Takoradi, June 22,-GNA-The Western Regional Road Safety Committee has set aside the last Saturday of June to the second Sunday of July as the Regional Road Safety Week, Mr Thomas Bismark Boakye, Regional Coordinator of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), announced on Thursday.

Announcing this at a press conference organised by the Commission in Takoradi, he said the first celebration of the week would take place from June 30 to July 8 this year under the theme: "Safety for Pedestrians, Safety for Cyclists".

Mr. Boakye said the week has been initiated by the Regional Road Safety Committee to assist to reduce the rate of road accidents in the region, which are particularly high during the raining season in June and July and the week would be celebrated every year. He said the region has one of the highest rates of pedestrian knock-downs in the country and the theme for this year's Regional Road Safety Week is to highlight this and educate pedestrians to reduce knock-downs.

Mr. Boakye said apart from pedestrians, cyclists are also at risk on the road although cycling is a means of transport and promotes health. He advised drivers to carry their driving licences with them when driving because the licence permits them to drive.

Mr. Boakye said some company drivers leave their licence with their transport officers but this was wrong.

He said number plates should be fixed to the bumper of the vehicle as required by law but of late, some drivers have raised their number plates to make it difficult to read the number of the vehicle. Mr. Boakye said some drivers are also using fake number plates and advised those concerned to go to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and register their vehicles to obtain numbers. He said Mr. Noble John Appiah, Executive Director of the NRSC, would participate in the celebration of the Regional Road Safety Week and would interact with Mpohor Wassa East District Road Safety Committee during his visit.

Mr. Boakye noted that for the past five years, there has not been any fatality during road accidents in the Mpohor Wassa East District. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Peter Ndekugri Anombugri, Western Regional Mobile Force Commander, said it is the Motor Traffic Transport Unit (MTTU) and not the Service that prosecutes drivers. He said all drivers arrested by the Force are handed over to the MTTU for the necessary action.

DSP urged journalists to expose the bad nuts in the Police Service and to follow criminal cases involving Policemen to its logical conclusion to enable the public to know the truth and the outcome of those cases. 22 June 07