Ghana Police Seize 200 Motorbikes in Accra over Defying Social Distancing Protocols

The police have impounded 200 motorbikes from riders in various parts in Greater Accra Region for purportedly disregarding the social distancing protocols.

Some of the riders were also detained while others bolted and abandoned their motorbikes upon seeing the police.

The operation, dubbed "Operation social distancing," was based on a directive from the Accra Regional Police Command to all divisional commands in the region.

This follows an earlier operation by the regional command where 130 motorbikes were impounded, with some riders arrested.

In a briefing with Daily Graphic, the Accra Regional Police Commander, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP) Mr Frederick Adu, said the operations were carried out by the Baatsona, Kaneshie, Dansoman, Nima and the Tesano divisional police commands in their jurisdictions while the Accra Central Motor Transport and Traffic Department (MTTD) also joined in the exercise in their area of responsibility.

He said the Dansoman Division impounded 60 bikes, Kaneshie, 40; Accra Central MTTD, 40; Tesano, 31; Baatsona, 19 and Nima, 10.

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Mr Adu Anim explained that the operation was meant to enforce social distancing on motorbikes as part of measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19.

“Motorbike riders are banned from picking a pillion rider in order to observe the social distancing protocol and prevent the spread of the coronavirus as directed by the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo,” he said.

He said the riders who were arrested had been screened and would be put before the Motor Courts.

DCOP Anim said many people had misconstrued the lifting of the partial lockdown as freedom to go back to normal life and reminded all that, all the directives outlined by the President to help curb the spread of the infection were still in force.

“The public is reminded that all the directives the President has outlined, including the ban on social, public and religious gatherings, motorbike riders carrying pillion riders to encourage social distancing are very much in place and they are advised to comply.”

The exercise, DCOP Anim stressed, had not ended and warned that the police were likely to impound more motorbikes.