One hundred and thirty national service persons have passed out of a two-week police training programme to assist in road traffic management.

The 106 males and 24 females are expected to assist the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) to manage traffic in the Kumasi metropolis.

The programme is under the Urban Traffic Management Model, which is a partnership between the Police Service and the National Service Secretariat.

The Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Alhassan, in a speech delivered on his behalf, cautioned the national service recruits against extortion on the road.

“In everything that you do, you are required to operate within the law, you are not going to extort money from motorists”, he warned at the passing out ceremony in Kumasi.

The second batch of trainees is excited at the programme.

“Some of our mates were mocking us that we are going to direct traffic so we were timid but what we thought when we came was not so,” said Nana Yaw Sarfo, an HND holder in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Cape-Coast Polytechnic.

According to Nana Yaw, his colleagues who applied for reposting should be regretting the lost opportunity.

Eva Pomaa, who holds a degree in Basic Education from the University of Cape Coast, also explains that “at first I was not happy, I thought as an education students I am supposed to be in the classroom,” but after the programme, she is happy with the discipline and the skills acquired.

The service personnel however want motorists to cooperate with them in instilling discipline on the roads.

“We are expecting the drivers to cope with us, obey our decisions,” said one of the recruits.

Some of the participants are already considering applying to be enrolled into the security service after the one year service year.

The personnel will work under the supervision of the police during the national service period.

Review Officer, COP James Oppong-Boanuh, expects them to be cautious, firm and respect members of the public.

“A lot will be expected from you in terms of discipline, hard work, dedication and good conduct,” he said.