Tamale, April 25, GNA - The Tamale Metropolitan Assembly is to impound stray animals found roaming the streets of the Metropolis and impose heavy fines on their owners to bring sanity on the roads. The Assembly had observed that stray animals were responsible for some of the accidents in the Metropolis and also cause nuisance by littering the streets.

Mr Mohammed Amin Adam, Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) announced this when he launched the first United Nations Global Road Safety Week, on the theme: "Improving safety for young road users", in Tamale on Wednesday.

He said the Assembly had decided to impound all stray animals on the streets and their owners would be made to pay a fine of 500,000 cedis for a sheep one million cedis per a cow before their animals would be returned to them.

He said those who failed to pay the fines after a stipulated time would have the animals auctioned or given to schools for their meals.

Mr Adam noted that another major cause of road accidents in the Metropolis was indiscipline on the part of drivers and other road users who carelessly parked their vehicles or cars at "no parking areas", causing unnecessary congestion.

The MCE said following the recent rainstorm that hit the Metropolis a 4.5 billion cedis contract had be signed to install new streetlights and rehabilitate the broken down ones.

He said government had already spent about 150 billion cedis to improve upon road infrastructure in the Metropolis.

Mr Ephraim Barakatu, Deputy Commissioner of Police and Chairman of the Regional Road Safety Committee said of late a number of fatal accidents involving motor riders had been recorded because they refused to use crash helmets.

He said most motor riders in the Metropolis also committed traffic offences because they either did not have licenses or failed to register their bikes.

He appealed to motorbike riders to cultivate the habit of using helmets to protect them in the event of an accident.

Mr Barakatu said an inventory of motor traffic cases in the courts revealed that the overwhelming majority of prosecutions covered five offences, namely: dangerous driving, careless driving, drunk driving and use of uninsured vehicles.

He urged drivers to always ensure that their vehicles were insured and well maintained at all times and to also desist from overloading and observe recommended speed limits.

Alhaji Amadu Lamusah, Regional Chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, said the Union was collaborating with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) Unit of the Police Service to organise training workshops to upgrade the skills of their members on road usage.

He announced that the Union would soon embark on an exercise to "weed out" all unauthorized vehicles in the Metropolis.

Mr Sumani Mbo, Coordinator of the Road Safety Committee urged all stakeholders involved in the safety of travellers to intensify the education on road safety among drivers and the general public to enable them to make an impact. 25 April 07