Motorists urged to give way to bullion vehicles

Inspector-General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno has urged drivers to yield to armored bullion vehicles (ABVs) and show patience when they appear on the roads. He emphasized that cooperation from all road users is crucial for the safe and efficient movement of these specialized vehicles and the protection of their valuable contents.

Yohuno delivered this plea at a workshop organized by the Ministry for the Interior in Accra, which brought together security firms, cash-in-transit operators, retrofitting companies, and importers to learn about the regulations surrounding ABVs. In a speech read for him, Yohuno stressed the growing need for ABVs to meet high standards of construction, security, and road readiness.

The Ministry has set guidelines covering vehicle importation, safety, crew training, tracking, inspections, and decommissioning. The IGP announced that the Ghana Police Service has deployed regional and district teams to enforce these rules and has phased out soft-skinned CIT vehicles nationwide due to a directive from the Minister for the Interior.

This change follows five armed attacks on CIT vehicles between 2021 and 2023 that killed three police officers. The Police have also created a standard operating procedure, which works alongside the Bank of Ghana's guidelines, to regulate the use of ABVs. Yohuno called on regional, divisional, and district leaders to assist enforcement teams in verifying the legitimacy of ABVs and report any non-compliant parties to the Police or the Interior Ministry.

He further emphasized that retrofitting companies and importers must adhere to the prescribed technical and safety standards, as their work directly impacts the safety of police officers, crew members, and the public. The IGP stressed that the safe transportation of cash and valuables is a shared responsibility and called for collaboration among all stakeholders.