True Drivers Union questions readiness for implementation of new road traffic regulations

Yaw Barimah, the Public Relations Officer of the True Drivers Union, has raised doubts about the National Road Safety Authority's (NRSA) ability to enforce new road traffic regulations on November 1. He believes the Authority is not prepared for full implementation and is selectively enforcing certain parts of the law while ignoring others.

According to Barimah, Regulation 142, which prohibits trading on roads and at bus stops, should be addressed first before enforcing Regulation 242, which bans unauthorized parking. He argues that enforcing only one regulation is unfair and discriminatory, as it affects different groups of people. Barimah also questions the availability of government rest stops across the country, required by Regulation 143, which mandates commercial drivers to take a mandatory rest after every four hours of driving.

He believes that enforcing this regulation without proper infrastructure would be setting drivers up for failure. Furthermore, Barimah claims that commercial drivers were not adequately consulted during the drafting of the regulations, and that the NRSA's engagement with them was merely symbolic. He calls for the NRSA to suspend the implementation date, return to the consultation table, enforce the law in its entirety, and ensure that necessary infrastructure, like designated rest stops and proper bus terminals, are provided before enforcement begins.