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Speaker, Chief Justice excluded from siren privileges in new L.I

Source The Ghana Report

The Office of the Speaker of Parliament and the Chief Justice have been excluded from the list of high-ranking public officials permitted to utilise sirens and bypass speed limits.

This came to light after a new road traffic Legislative Instrument (L.I) was laid before parliament.

An amendment to the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 was earlier met with backlash from Ghanaians.

Regulation 74 of LI 2180 was to permit the fitting of sirens or bells as warning appliances on specific classes of vehicles, including those owned by justices of the Supreme Court, members of parliament, and ministers of state.

It was subsequently withdrawn and now reintroduced, excluding provisions that would have allowed MPs, the Speaker of Parliament, and the Chief Justice to utilise sirens and bypass speed limits.

Highlighting the exclusions on the floor of parliament, the Member of Parliament for Tamale South, Haruna Iddrisu said it is wrong for the Speaker and Chief Justice to be denied these privileges.

READ ALSO: Ministers, MPs to use sirens in cars, drive without speed limit in new L.I

“If the Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament is not entitled to a motorcade or police accompaniment, in my view, it is wrong. The Chief Justice of Ghana has also been excluded from the regulation.

“We can remove ministers and MPs from this provision, but the republic has four key personalities: the President, Vice President, Speaker, and Chief Justice. If I had my way, this L.I. would be reconsidered because leaving the Speaker and Chief Justice out of this privilege is inappropriate,” he said.

The Majority Leader, Alexander Afenyo-Markin also expressed concern over the exclusion, arguing that it could hinder MPs in carrying out their duties to the people of Ghana.

“Politicians are always in a rush to save their heads when there is a crisis but sometimes we can have a collective fall. We know the challenges we face coming from home and going to our constituencies. It is not that a Member of Parliament, by virtue of having a siren, will use it every day,” he argued.

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