For fear of being arrested, charcoal truck drivers who normally overload the vehicles thus posing danger on the highways, are using every means to outwit the police to stay in business.

But the police, also realising the danger such trucks pose on the roads, counter such strategies immediately.

One of such operations was mounted by the Police Highway Patrol Unit and the Amasaman Police in the early hours of Sunday, resulting in the impounding of 22 trucks the Accra-Kumasi Highway overloaded charcoal.

The trucks were said to have carted the charcoal from Techiman, Begoro, Afram Plains, Wenchi and other farming communities for Accra.

Briefing the media at Amasaman yesterday, the Commander of the Police Highway Patrol Unit, Superintendent Sayibu Gariba, said following reports of overloading of vehicles especially cargo trucks, with goods, an educational campaign was embarked upon to impress upon drivers to desist from the practice.

He said in such campaigns the drivers were asked not to load their vehicles above the permissible level but some cargo truck drivers flouted the directive.

Superintendent Gariba explained that excessive loading of trucks besides destroying footbridges, also shortens the life span and durability of the road network.

Apart from that he said some of them overload their vehicles to such extent that the drivers are unable to see their back through the driving mirror.

‘This often results in accidents, especially as the goods get in the way of oncoming vehicles’.

Some of the over- loaded trucks he said cause destruction to telephone and electricity wires forcing them in the middle of the road and blocking vehicular traffic, he said.

Superintendent Gariba said the police would not relax in carrying out such operation and that they will intensify their operation to ensure that culprits are apprehended.

He assured that the drivers and their mates will be put before court this week.

Source: The Ghanaian Times