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The Bono Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has embarked on an operation to arrest and prosecute owners of motorbikes who have not registered the machines but are using them.

The exercise has commenced earnestly in the Sunyani Municipality but would be extended to the remaining 11 municipalities and districts in the region, Superintendent Stephen Sarfo Tenkorang, the Regional Commander of MTTD has announced.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani, Supt. Tenkorang described the situation as “very worrying” because, besides causing an increased number of road crashes, some of them were unregistered.

“The number of motorbikes users in the region are reasonably high but some of them failed to register the machines with the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA)”, he said.

Supt. Tenkorang explained that besides not having the license and not qualified to ride, such persons also lacked knowledge about road signs and traffic rules and regulations.

He expressed worry about the fact that motorbikes involved in road accidents have out-numbered that of vehicles in the region and described that as “unacceptable”.

Supt. Tenkorang said there had been an increment from January to June this year there has been an increment in motorbike crashes, 76 as compared to 40 in January-May 2019.

Comparatively, there were 54 deaths and 146 injuries from January to May 2019 but January to June 2020 has recorded a reduction to 50 deaths and 123 injuries of motorbike crashes.

Supt. Tenkorang said the total number of vehicles involved in road accidents in 2019 was 106 which comprised 40 private and 66 commercial vehicles with 41 deaths and 146 injuries.

From January to June this year, 123 vehicles -71 commercial and 52 private cars were involved in road accidents but also with 41 deaths with a reduced number of injuries of 123.