The Ashanti Regional Police Command says it is activating heightened traffic enforcement to curb reckless driving and protect lives during the Christmas festivities.
With the country heading into the festive season, a period historically associated with spikes in road crashes, the Police are doing everything possible to save the situation.
The Ashanti Regional Motor Traffic and Transport Division (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service called on pedestrians and drivers to observe precautionary measures on the roads before, during and after the yuletide.
Speaking on Ghanakoma morning show on Akoma 87.9 FM in Kumasi with Sir John, on Thursday, December 4,2025, the Manhyia Divisional Commander of MTTD, Superintendent Mary Affanyi, said they are prioritizing proactive safety measures this year.
“We don’t wait for Christmas to act. The Police structure is built on prevention “, she emphasized.
“As we enter the yuletide, you will see heightened Police presence, especially on the streets and corners. Offenders, whether drunk drivers, repeat speeders, or reckless drivers will be processed for court,” she said.
She stated that, the Police will deploy more patrol teams, evidence-gathering equipment, and joint operations with the National Road Safety Authority and others to ensure safety on Highways and in urban areas.
Supt. Affanyi appealed to the media and social institutions to intensify education.
“We expect strong media collaboration to amplify safety awareness “, she stated.
She said her outfit was engaging stakeholders like the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) to ensure that road accidents are reduced to the barest rate.
Supt Affanyi, noted how busy the roads in the Metropolis would be as part of the Christmas celebrations with the infamous masquerade groups, parading the principal streets amongst other activities.
“A lot of accidents are associated with the season because there are a lot of commercial activities which goes on in the Metropolis. With the flow of people from all walks of life convening at a place to have a good time”, she stated.
Supt Affanyi explained that the attitude portrayed by some drivers is appalling which is why her outfit has deployed officials to designated points in the Metropolis.
She stated that education and sensitization are currently ongoing for drivers and other stakeholders in various terminals as a way of curbing and reducing road accidents this season.
She further advised drivers to be cautious of some roads which have been identified as accident-prone in order to exercise restraint when driving.
She also cautioned that no errant driver would be spared when found culpable of defaulting the road safety regulations.
She said Police Service will deploy more men to prevent road crashes during Christmas.
The Asokwa Divisional Commander of the MTTD, ASP Prince Kaar Dammir, who also contributed to the show, said, there is the need to scale-up it’s operation due to the inflow of people and vehicles emanating from the yuletide.
It has become a norm that most cities experience vehicular traffic congestion during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
This year’s situation is likely to worsen due to the influx of foreigners.
He said detailed traffic management plans have been circulated from the headquarters to the divisional levels for implementation.
“We’ll use the sheer Police presence which we will not hide from the general public. Therefore, we are going to increase our strength and you’ll see a lot of Police officers patrolling both on foot, and in cars. And in terms of traffic, you’ll see most of our Police urbanized jurisdictional traffic junctions saturated with traffic officers because we are aware that in times like this, the traffic stream would heighten “, he said.
There would be more unusual road users exposed to the road environment in addition to the routine one. We expect high vehicular and human traffic and there will be high economic and commercial activities in town and city centres”, he observed.
By Benjamin Aidoo
