IGP CAUTIONS DISPATCH RIDERS (CENTER PAGE)

9/01/2008
Story: Mary Mensah
THE Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Patrick Kwarteng Acheampong, has called on dispatch riders to be cautious, patient and alert during the Ghana 2008 football tournament.
He said in times like that, people ignored the sirens and it became very difficult to control crowds, especially when supporters lined up the streets to catch a glimpse or shake the hands of their favourite players.
The IGP made the call when he closed a three-day refresher course organised for 75 dispatch riders and five senior police officers in preparation for the tournament at the national headquarters of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra yesterday.
The course was designed to sharpen the skills of the riders to meet the high demands of Ghana 2008 and beyond.
Mr Acheampong said the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the tournament expected more than one million visitors, including coaches, tourists and media practitioners, from all over the world and that the riders were expected to escort the various teams and other VIPs from their various hotels to the stadia and back.
He said this year promised to be more challenging for the Police Service but noted that with hard work and perseverance, it would be able to overcome them.
He said the first important task facing the service now was the tournament, which would be followed in April by the UN conference on trade and finally the general election in December.
Mr Acheampong said it was important for the police to organise training programmes frequently in order to be abreast of international standards.
The Commander of the MTTU, ACP Daniel Avorga, said apart from its preparation for Ghana 2008, his outfit would clamp down on the abuse of number plates by individuals and groups.
He said a lot of attention would be directed at persons who used their motorbikes for commercial purposes and warned those who were doing that to desist from the act.
ACP Avorga said the wearing of seat belts would also be vigorously enforced to guarantee safety to all road users.