Pedestrians who cross road indiscriminately are to be prosecuted in order to reduce carnage on the roads, the Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) has warned.

The officer in charge of Education, Research and Training of the MTTD, DSP Alexander Obeng observed that persons who have been knocked down by vehicles in the first quarter of this year are more than that of last year.

A total of 1,303 persons were knocked down by vehicles, resulting in 703 deaths in the first quarter of 2017 as compared to the 894 deaths recorded in the whole of last year.

This, he said, makes it impending on the MTTD as a law enforcing agency to find mechanisms to reduce accident to the barest minimum.

Police officers across the country would soon be given orders to arrest and prosecute persons who would cross any road carelessly, DSP Obeng revealed to Onua FM News whilst reacting to a proposal by a magistrate judge Mrs. Victoria Akua Ghansah who presides over the Abeka District Court had charged the Ghana Police Service to prosecute pedestrians who cross the road anyhow and therefore causing accidents and putting drivers into trouble.

She was not happy that law enforcing agencies are only interested in holding drivers responsible for accidents and not pedestrians who do not pay heed to road safety regulations.

The magistrate made the proposal whilst passing judgment on cases involving various traffic offenses, including careless and inconsiderate driving.