‘Drivers who flout traffic rules should be hit with spot fines' - Kojo Boateng

The New Juaben North Chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Kojo Boateng has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to institute spot fines for drivers who go against traffic rules.

He was of the view that not all offences on the roads, including wrong parking, urinating at unauthorized places should be sent to the law courts and that spot fines will be the best.

That, he said, will also help instill discipline on the road and as well boost the internal revenue of the Police Service.

“When we realize that you have parked wrongly, we can charge you about GHC200. We know that resources are coming to the police or the security apparatus and it will boost their revenue; this is one thing I want to encourage the IGP to do,” he said.

He again said, "Some say the police have been taking monies from the drivers and they pocket it, but if we make them understand that the money they take is good for the improvement of your service, I believe about 60 to 70 percent will be honest and they will help collect the money. As far as I know, in most countries, including the UK, when the police get hold of anyone, they are given tickets and the monies go to the police service and not the police officer in person.”

Mr. Kojo Boateng also said, “Some police officers do not even wash their uniforms. We can modernize the police such that their uniforms will be more than one, or at least three or four so that when they go to work and come back, they can change it for the next day. When it is dirty, a cleaning service will go for it and send it to the laundry, wash it and iron it neatly and put it in their closet, and when they go out, they will be seen as professionals and when they instruct citizens to do something, they will do it, This will bring income and discipline.”