The National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) has called on commuters to desist from boarding tricycles, as it was very dangerous to use such vehicles for commercial purposes.

Aside the danger, the Commission said it is an offence to use the machines for commercial purposes the country and appealed to the police to help arrest and prosecute offenders.

Mr Kwasi Agyenim Boateng, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Head of the NRSC, passengers who board such vehicles did so at their own peril as most of the riders were minors who did not have basic knowledge in safety.

Speaking at separate road safety sensitization fora at Yeji, Kwame-Danso, Atebubu, Banda-Ahenkro, Nsawkaw and Techiman in the Brong-Ahafo Region, Mr Boateng said the use of tricycles for commercial purposes was a breach of the Road Traffic Regulation LI 2180.

He expressed regret that many of the drivers of such vehicle were minors who had no riding license and knowledge in road signs and regulations, thereby contributing to road crashes.

Mr Boateng said called for effective collaboration between the Commission, Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA) and transport unions to intensify enforcement exercises and bring the situation under control.

He said road crashes and fatalities were recording high figures in the region basically due to carelessness of commercial drivers and advised passengers to be bold and check drivers against wrongful overtaking, speeding and overloading.

Available statics reveal that road accidents killed 204 people in Brong-Ahafo from January to October this year, he said, adding that the NRSC and its major partners intends to intensify road enforcement exercises as Christmas approached.

Mr Boateng cautioned drivers whose licenses and road worthy and insurances have expired to renew them because culprits would be prosecuted.

He expressed appreciation to the police MTTD and the DVLA for their support towards bringing sanity on the road, and advised passengers to remember and wear their seat belts when they board commercial and private vehicles.

Seat belts, he said, would reduce fatalities in-case of any unforeseen contingency on the road, and advised drivers who have not fixed seat belts in their vehicles to do so to avoid sanctions.

At Kwame-Danso, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Badu Poku, the Sene West District Police Commander, said the police intends to undertake an exercise to impound all unregistered motorbikes in the district.
He warned that motor riders who do not wear crash helmets would also be arrested and prosecuted.

DSP Andrews Okonengye, the Techiman Municipal MTTD Commander, advised drivers to be law-abiding, and desist from packing at unauthorized places as well as adhere to road signs and regulations.