OFFICIAL INDISCIPLINE ON GHANA’S ROADS

As a follow-up to my previous article on indiscipline on our roads, here's my observations about the part the Police is playing in our problems with discipline on our roads. I sent a slightly modified version for publication in the Daily Graphic two weeks ago, but it's still not been published. Hmmm... so here goes...

OFFICIAL INDISCIPLINE ON GHANA’S ROADS

The Ghanaian public has complained time and again about the total lack of discipline on our roads, but it seems like things have not changed. In my opinion, the situation is actually getting worse because we are used to being rude, impatient, discourteous and even reckless towards other roads users.

Driving on traffic-prone roads such as the Lapaz - Mallam road and recently, the main Legon-Adenta road is most unpleasant, because drivers drive on the shoulders of the roads and even on the path of oncoming traffic because they do not want to wait in line for their turn to move. Result is, those who do the right thing by staying in the traffic jam never move or spend a much longer time in the queue than they need to, because other drivers who are way behind them in the queue bypass them and then rejoin the queue at its head. Not only is this unfair, but it also encourages other drivers to drive recklessly, so they do not remain in traffic jams.

The fault is not entirely that of the commercial/private driver... the Police have had a big hand in the current state of affairs, because they have actively contributed to recklessness on our roads, through their own actions. I am referring to instances when the Police themselves, drive recklessly, especially on the shoulders of the road, even when there is no urgency or reason to do so.

A case in point is the little stretch of the Switchback Road that joins the main Airport-Accra ceremonial street, right before the Officers’ Mess opposite the 37 Military Hospital. That road has always been a two-way street, although while the ceremonial road was being built, it served as a one-way street for a while, but has since reverted to a two-way street. This road has virtually turned into a one-way street because people drive on the side of oncoming traffic (those who have turned off from the ceremonial road and are heading towards Labone/Cantonments). This always causes problems and blocks traffic in there.

Even more worrying is the fact that Police vehicles coming from the CID Headquarters hardly ever remain in the traffic jam. They are always the first to drive on the path of oncoming traffic, so as to avoid the traffic jam, even when there is no need for them to do so. If the Police are out on an urgent mission, they are more than welcome to overtake other cars and drive on the shoulders of the road to save the day. Sirens blazing, of course! However, when they drive on the path of oncoming traffic and on the shoulders of roads, when everyone can see that there is no real urgency to their trip and, therefore, no need for them to drive so recklessly, it encourages others to copy them and infuriate the rest of us law-abiding drivers, who are patiently waiting for our turn to get into the road.

In countries where the enforcement of road traffic regulations is taken seriously, the Police abide by the rules, except when there is an emergency and, therefore, permission for them to do otherwise. If we are really serious about enforcing road traffic regulations, respect for the rules has to start from the enforcers themselves and then the general populace will fall in line. If the enforcers will not respect the rules, the will find, by and by that they lack the cooperation needed from the general populace to enforce the laws.

Ghana Police, let us put an end to officially-sanctioned indiscipline on our roads and we would be making some progress on curbing indiscipline on the country’s roads.