Koforidua, Sept 3, GNA - Police Superintendent James Sarfo Peprah, the Eastern Regional Commander of the MTTU, has called for stiffer punishments for drivers who go beyond the speed limits in towns resulting in the instant killing of pedestrians. He described as unacceptable the high number of people killed from January to August this year in the region as a result of being knocked down by over speeding drivers.

In an interview with GNA on statistics of knock downs and its fatalities in the region, Mr Sarfo Peprah said it worrying that people crossing roads even on zebra crossings were knocked down to death by over speeding drivers and therefore appealed to the public not to hesitate to report any such driver to the nearest police station. The speed limit for inner city driving is 50 kilometres per hour. The statistics indicated that 59 persons were knocked down in various towns and villages along the Accra-Kumasi road, especially at Suhum, Bunso Junction and Nkawkaw claiming 49 lives with 10 seriously injured.

The deaths included 35 males and 14 females as well as 15 children between the ages of two and 10 years. The statistics also showed that between the same period last year, 52 lives including 36 males and 16 females were claimed through knockdowns on roads in the region.

The Koforidua-Mile 50 road was particularly mentioned for recording about 10 knockdowns within a month resulting in the death of four children between the ages of four and 10 recently. The MTTU Commander urged that the public in reporting those drivers should not forget to furnish the police with the registration numbers of the vehicles for the necessary action to be taken against them. He said the trend should be a source of worry for all concerned, adding that besides the horrific figures of pedestrians being killed by over speeding vehicles, road accidents were also claiming more lives. Superintendent Sarfo Peprah said it was for the protection of pedestrians, particularly children, that zebra crossings were marked on the roads. According to him, the radar guns used in checking speeding on the roads were not enough, hence the road signs of caution to drivers on the limit of speed in towns. He warned that the MTTU would not spare any driver who would show gross disregard to road traffic regulations. He said the police could not be everywhere to check over speeding vehicles hence the road signs and it only needed the respect and commitment of drivers to obey the signs to help reduce deaths on the roads.