Motorists penalised, cautioned for not wearing nose mask

 Some motorists in private and commercial vehicles plying the Madina Atomic Junction to Haatso road without nose masks and with expired documents were last Thursday arrested and fined on the spot.

Drivers without nose masks and those not abiding by the vehicle loading directives were fined GH₵50, as commercial drivers with expired road documents and stickers were fined GH₵30, while others who had the face masks but had not put them on were cautioned, Graphic Online reported. 

The joint operation was between a team of police officers from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department ( MTTD) and the GA East Municipal Task Force.

The exercise was organised by the Ga Municipal Assembly Transport Department in collaboration with the Adenta, Kwabenya and Mile 7 MTTD Division

It was meant to educate drivers and passengers to put on their face masks and abide by the social distancing rules in vehicles as ordered by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, to help curb the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

According, Anthony Ziblim Andan, the head of the transport division of the assembly, the exercise would run for 10 days at different spots within the municipality.

Mr Andan said for passengers without nose masks, they were dropped off from the vehicle to serve as a deterrent to others, but hinted that such people would fined when they commit the same offence again.

He, however, said he was not happy about the low level of compliance by motorists in the area on the use of the nose masks and called for extensive education in that regard.

Some drivers and passengers were accosted for not having their nose masks on, and drivers who had picked passengers without masks, accepted their mistakes and promised to abide by the directives.

While drivers with defective documents also promised to renew their vehicle documents.