After a month dedicated to raising awareness through the “Traffic Lights” operation, the Ministry of Security and Civil Protection of Togo is transitioning to the enforcement phase starting from this Monday, August 28th, across the entire national territory.
Faced with a first half of 2023 marked by an alarming series of road accidents resulting in over 282 fatalities and 4,611 injuries, Togolese authorities have taken a proactive response to address this concerning situation. Launched on July 31st, the “Traffic Lights” initiative aims to establish a new dynamic in road safety. The awareness phase, which lasted nearly a month, served to remind road users about the importance of adhering to the traffic code to prevent accidents and dangerous behaviors on public roads.
Now, with the shift to the enforcement phase, the Togolese law enforcement agencies are determined to strictly enforce traffic rules. According to Colonel Y. Okpaoul, Chief of the Togo National Police, any traffic code violation starting from this August 28th will result in severe penalties imposed by the security forces.
Police officers, deployed on various urban streets across the country, have been assigned the specific mission of intercepting drivers and seizing two-wheeled vehicles of road users who are not wearing protective helmets. Passengers of seized vehicles will undergo an approximately 2-hour group awareness session about the traffic code, a measure aimed at both educating and deterring.
The seized vehicles will be returned to their owners only the following afternoon after the interception, provided that the violations have been corrected. Otherwise, the vehicles will be handed over to the impound yard if the owners do not retrieve them in time, in accordance with the statements of the Chief of the National Police.
This enforcement step marks a crucial turning point in the efforts made by Togolese authorities to reduce road accidents and promote road safety. So, a word to the road users.
