Today's investigations have revealed that some members of a taskforce formed by the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly (LEKMA) to ensure that drivers do not load or offload passengers at unauthorised bus stops in the area rather resort to engaging in extortion.
Consequently, the taskforce has turned the whole system into a gold mine, with the full determination to milk the Assembly dry.
Following complaints about their illegal activities, Today discovered that some of the officers together with some top officials at LEKMA had their own penalty charges for offending drivers although under the bye-laws which govern a spot fine, it was a court of competent jurisdiction which can determine if a driver was guilt or not.
Government of Ghana through the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service together with the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) and the Drivers and Licensing Authority (DVLA) in 2014 introduced the spot fine system to discipline reckless drivers.
The system, which was implemented by NRSC, the Ghana Police Service and DVLA, allows the authorities to revoke licenses of drivers who flout regulations on six consecutive times.
But, Today can report that the taskforce and some top officers at LEKMA who were hired to discipline reckless drivers have been collecting monies from offending drivers without even issuing receipts to that effect.
Some drivers who had gone through such an experience speaking to Today in an interview recently recounted that the taskforce intentionally arrested and sent them to their office located at Airport residential area.
They told Today that when they went to the officers to collect their vehicles, the task-force instead gave them the option to either pay a fraction of the fine without a receipt or face the courts.
According to the victims, they were cowed into submission to pay the monies to the taskforce.
They revealed that on Friday, December 11, 2015 the LEKMA taskforce led by one Adu Gyamfi arrested some drivers at the DVLA bus stop at 37 as well as the Accra Mall.
After the arrest, they said they were taken to the Airport office of the taskforce where they were asked to choose whether they wanted to be processed for court or would pay “something” so that their vehicles would be released to them.
According to them, after negotiations, the taskforce asked them to pay between GHC100 and GHC200.00
This incident, according to the affected drivers, happened on Friday, December 11, 2015 at 4:00 PM.
To this end, the drivers called on government to, as a matter of urgency, dissolve the taskforce.
<<Print>>