Tema, April 18, GNA - Four road accidents involving nine vehicles and 12 passengers sustaining injuries were recorded at Tema during the Easter festivities.

The injured were treated and discharged at the Tema General Hospital.

One of the accidents involved a Nissan saloon car and an unlicensed saloon car being driven by a mechanic who abandoned the car and bolted. Two other accidents occurred at the Tema Steel Works junction joining the Tema-Kpone highway, the fourth involved two Nissan Urvan buses at GTP during which eight passengers received injuries. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Prosper Amoah Ayisi, Tema MTTU Commanding Officer disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Tema on Tuesday.

He advised garage owners to refrain from allowing apprentices without driving licences to drive vehicles in their custody for repairs. DSP Ayisi said the practice mostly resulted in accidents and the apprentices abandon the vehicles and run away leaving the passengers to their fate.

"To be on the safer side garage owners should test vehicles under repairs themselves accompanied by their apprentices to avoid accidents." DSP Ayisi appealed to vehicle owners to avoid high daily 'sales' for their drivers that sometimes compelled them to speed to make more trips to make more money for their owners and themselves: "In the process fatigue sets in to cause accidents."

He pointed out that payment of insurance premium and regular maintenance of vehicles was the sole responsibility of vehicle owners and asked them to live up to their responsibilities, inspect their vehicles regularly to ensure they were road worthy. DSP Ayisi noted that vehicle owners ignored this vital duty and rather blamed their drivers for such mistakes.

He appealed to drivers not to give their vehicles to 'spare' drivers and ensure strict observance of traffic regulations. DSP Ayisi called on various drivers unions to discipline their members when they make unnecessary mistakes to bring sanity into driving on the roads.