ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

PART I —LICENSING

Regulation

1. Driving licence

2. Taxi and passenger lorry licence

3. Roadworthiness certificate

4. Number plates

5. L plates

6. Marks on commercial vehicles

PART II —USE OF VEHICLES

7. Opening doors

8. Alighting

9. Reversing

10. Obstruction

11. Parking and stopping

12. Traffic signs

13. Traffic lights

14. Police traffic control

15. Speeding

16. Insecure loads

17. Overcrowding front seat

18. Riding outside vehicle

19. Motor cycles

20. Bicycle passengers

21. Unattended vehicles 

PART III—CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES

22. Vehicles in dangerous condition

23. Speedometer

24. Brake lights

25. Indicators

26. Headlamps

27. Windscreen wipers

28. Mirrors

29. Shock absorbers

30. Tyres

31. Spare tyre

32. Silencer

33. Exhaust fumes

34. Bicycle brake, light and bell

PART IV—COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

35. Overcharging

36. Refusing hire

37. Loitering

38. Table of fares

39. Unauthorised stopping

40. Excess passengers

41. Seats

42. Fire extinguisher

43. Unnecessary noise

PART V—GENERAL

44. Penalties

45. Interpretation

46. Effect of Road Traffic Regulations

47. Commencement.

IN exercise of the powers conferred on the Commissioner responsible for Transport by section 33 of the Road Traffic Ordinance, 1952 (No. 55) these Regulations are made this 10th day of July, 1974.

PART I—LICENSING

Regulation 1—Driving Licence.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a road unless he holds a valid professional, private or learner driver's licence authorising him to drive that class of motor vehicle.

Regulation 2—Taxi and Passenger Lorry Licence.

(1) No person shall drive a taxi or passenger lorry on a road unless the taxi or passenger lorry licence issued in respect of that vehicle is carried on the vehicle.

(2) The driver of a taxi or passenger lorry shall produce the taxi or passenger lorry licence issued in respect of that vehicle for inspection at the request of any police officer in uniform.

Regulation 3—Road Worthiness Certificate.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle unless a valid certificate of roadworthiness is carried on the vehicle.

Regulation 4—Number Plates.

(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle unless the vehicle carries two reflective number plates one at the front and the other at the rear.

(2) No person shall drive a motor vehicle if any part of its number plate is missing or in any way damaged or obscured. 

Regulation 5—L Plates.

No learner driver shall drive a motor vehicle unless the vehicle carries two learner's plates or discs displaying the letter L, in a position where they are easily visible, one at the front and the other at the rear.

Regulation 6—Marks on Commercial Vehicles.

The name and registered address of the owner of a commercial vehicle shall be painted and maintained at all times in a legible condition on the near side of the vehicle so as to be clearly visible to a person standing beside the vehicle.

PART II—USE OF VEHICLES

Regulation 7—Opening Doors.

(1) No person shall open any door of a motor vehicle while that vehicle is in motion.

(2) No person shall open or leave open any door of a motor vehicle (whether the vehicle is stationary or in motion) so as to endanger any other road user or pedestrian.

Regulation 8—Alighting.

(1) No person shall alight from a motor vehicle while that vehicle is in motion.

(2) No person shall alight from a stationary motor vehicle so as to endanger any road user.

Regulation 9—Reversing.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle backwards further than may be necessary for turning or some other reasonable purpose.

Regulation 10—Obstruction. 

No person shall obstruct or permit any motor vehicle to obstruct the free movement of any traffic on a road, whether by parking, standing, loitering or in any other manner.

Regulation 11—Parking and Stopping.

(1) No person shall park a motor vehicle on a road or pavement within fifty feet of a no parking sign prescribed by Road Traffic Regulations:

Provided that (subject to any other applicable road traffic restriction) a vehicle may be parked on the opposite side of the road to the no parking sign.

(2) No person shall park a motor vehicle on a road abreast of another motor vehicle.

(3) No person shall park or stop a motor vehicle within thirty feet of a junction.

(4) No person shall park or stop a motor vehicle on a pedestrian crossing or railway crossing.

(5) No person shall park or stop a motor vehicle close to the crest of a hill or on a bend where visibility is not sufficient for the parked vehicle to be overtaken in complete safety.

Regulation 12—Traffic Signs.

(1) No person shall contravene a prohibitory road sign prescribed by Road Traffic Regulations which indicates no right turn, no left turn, no U-turn, no overtaking, no entry, no hooting, no stopping or no waiting.

(2) No person shall contravene a mandatory road sign prescribed by Road Traffic Regulations which requires him to stop, give way, keep left, keep right, turn left, turn right, observe one way traffic or give priority to approaching traffic.

Regulation 13—Traffic Lights.

(1) No driver shall proceed past traffic light signs when the amber light is showing unless when  that light first appears after the green light has shown the speed of the vehicle and its distance from the signs are such that it cannot safely be stopped before passing the signs.

(2) No driver shall proceed past traffic light signs when the red light is showing whether or not the amber light is also showing.

Regulation 14—Police Traffic Control.

Every driver shall on approaching a police officer on traffic control duty on any road give an appropriate signal to him, and shall not make a turn or proceed along a road or cross a road until the police officer has signalled for him to do so.

Regulation 15—Speeding.

(1) No person shall drive any motor vehicle in any place at a speed exceeding that prescribed by any sign lawfully erected.

(2) Where in a city, town or village no speed limit is prescribed by any sign lawfully erected, no person shall drive any motor vehicle at a speed exceeding 30 miles per hour.

(3) No person shall drive a timber truck at a speed exceeding 30 miles per hour, or 20 miles per hour if the timber truck has two or more trailers.

(4) No person shall drive an omnibus or passenger lorry outside a city, town or village at a speed exceeding 40 miles per hour, unless otherwise permitted by any sign lawfully erected on a motorway.

(5) No person shall drive a commercial vehicle carrying freight ( other than a timber truck) at a speed exceeding —

(a) 20 miles per hour, if it has two or more trailers;

(b) 30 miles per hour, if it has one trailer; or

(c) 40 miles per hour, if it has no trailer.

Regulation 16—Insecure Loads.

(1) No person shall drive a motor vehicle or trailer with a load or covering which is insecurely fastened or which becomes loose or detached or in any manner becomes a hazard to other road users.

(2) No person shall drive a motor vehicle or trailer with a load which drops, sifts or leaks on to the road.

Regulation 17—Overcrowding Front Seat.

(1) No driver shall, on a right-hand steering controlled vehicle, permit any person to sit or stand on the right side of the driver, or more than two persons on the left side of the driver.

(2) No driver shall, on a left-hand steering controlled vehicle, permit any person to sit or stand on the left side of the driver, or more than two persons on the right side of the driver.

Regulation 18—Riding Outside Vehicle.

No person shall ride on the wing, running boards, fenders, bonnet, steps or tail-board of a motor vehicle or trailer.

Regulation 19—Motor Cycles.

(1) No person (whether the driver or a passenger) shall ride on a motor cycle unless he is wearing a crash helmet.

(2) No person (whether the driver or a passenger) shall ride on a motor cycle unless he is sitting astride the cycle.

Regulation 20—Bicycle Passengers.

No person shall whilst riding a bicycle on a road in any city or town carry another person on any part of the bicycle.

Regulation 21—Unattended Vehicles.

(1) No driver shall leave a vehicle unattended on any road with the engine running.

(2) No driver shall leave a vehicle unattended on any road without having taken due precautions against its being started in his absence.

PART III—CONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES

Regulation 22—Vehicles in Dangerous Condition.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle or trailer if that motor vehicle or trailer or any part or accessory thereof is in such a condition as to cause or to be likely to cause danger to any person therein or to any road user or to any property on or adjoining the road.

Regulation 23—Speedometer.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a speedometer,or with a damaged, defective or inoperative speedometer.

Regulation 24—Brake Lights.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a brake light,or with a damaged, defective or inoperative brake light.

Regulation 25—Indicators.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle without at least two direction indicators, or with a damaged, defective or inoperative indicator.

Regulation 26—Headlamps.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle without headlamps, or with a damaged, defective or inoperative headlamp.

Regulation 27—Windscreen Wipers .

No person shall drive a motor vehicle fitted with a front glass windscreen if it has no windscreen wiper, or if it has a damaged, defective or inoperative windscreen wiper.

Regulation 28—Mirrors.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a driving mirror, or with a damaged, defective or inoperative driving mirror.

Regulation 29—Shock Absorbers.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle (other than a motorcycle) without shock absorbers, or with shock absorbers which are damaged or inoperative.

Regulation 30—Tyres.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle or trailer if any of its tyres is so worn as to show any part of the canvas of the tyre.

Regulation 31—Spare Tyre.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle unless there is carried on the vehicle a spare inflated tyre fixed to a rim or spare wheel.

Regulation 32—Silencer.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle with an inefficient silencer, or with a cut out or open exhaust.

Regulation 33—Exhaust Fumes.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle which emits exhaust fumes in such quantities as to be a hazard or annoyance to road users or pedestrians.

Regulation 34—Bicycle Brake, Light and Bell.

No person shall ride a bicycle which is not fitted with an efficient brake, light and bell.

PART IV—COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

Regulation 35—Over Charging.

(1) No taxi driver shall demand or take more than the fare which he is lawfully entitled to receive.

(2) No driver or conductor of an omnibus or passenger lorry shall demand or take more than the fare which he is lawfully entitled to receive.

Regulation 36—Refusing Hire.

(1) No taxi driver shall refuse without reasonable excuse to drive the vehicle to any place indicated by the hirer if the journey requested by the hirer does not exceed ten miles.

(2) No taxi driver shall refuse to carry such number of passengers (not exceeding the number specified in the licence for the vehicle) as he may be required to carry by the hirer.

Regulation 37—Loitering.

No driver of a taxi when hired shall, unless requested by the hirer, stop the vehicle to collect new passengers, or stop the vehicle for a longer time than is reasonably necessary.

Regulation 38—Table of Fares.

No person shall drive a taxi unless a legible copy of the table of fares applicable to the taxi is displayed therein so as to be visible to passengers and in such a position as the licensing authority may direct.

Regulation 39—Unauthorised Stopping.

(1) No driver of a taxi, omnibus or passenger lorry shall stop for passengers at any place except at a stand appointed by the local authority.

(2) No driver of an omnibus shall take up or set down passengers except at the stopping places prescribed by the local authority.

Regulation 40—Excess Passengers.

No driver or conductor of a taxi, omnibus or passenger lorry shall permit the number of persons carried in the vehicle to exceed the number authorised by the licence.

Regulation 41—Seats.

(1) No person shall drive an omnibus or passenger lorry unless all seating accommodation is securely fixed in the body of the vehicle.

(2) No driver or conductor of a passenger lorry shall permit any passenger to enter the vehicle unless there is a seat available for the use of that passenger.

Regulation 42—Fire Extinguisher.

No person shall drive an omnibus or passenger lorry unless a fire extinguisher of a type approved by the licensing authority is carried on the vehicle and kept filled and in good working order.

Regulation 43—Unnecessary Noise.

No driver or conductor of a taxi, omnibus or passenger lorry shall blow his horn, shout, or make any loud or unnecessary noise to attract the attention of the public or of a possible passenger.

PART V—GENERAL

Regulation 44—Penalties.

Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any of the provisions of these Regulations shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ¢100.00, or in the case of a subsequent conviction for the same offence to a fine not exceeding ¢200.00 or to imprisonment not exceeding six months or to both.

Regulation 45—Interpretation.

(1) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires:

"motor cycle" means any motor vehicle having a saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground;

"omnibus" means any motor vehicle specifically designed and constructed for the exclusive purpose of carrying seven or more passengers and their luggage for hire or reward;

"passenger lorry" means any motor vehicle (other than an omnibus) used or intended to be used for carrying seven or more passengers for hire or reward, the passengers paying at the rate of separate or distinct fares for their respective places;

"taxi" means any motor vehicle designed or constructed to carry not more than seven persons (inclusive of the driver) used or intended to be used for carrying not more than six passengers for hire or reward.

(2) In these Regulations, unless the context otherwise requires, any reference to a driver or to a person driving a vehicle includes a reference to a person who is in charge of a vehicle when used on a road.

Regulation 46—Effect of Road Traffic Regulations.

The Road Traffic Regulations, 1974 (L.I. 953) shall have effect subject to the provisions of these Regulations.

Regulation 47—Commencement.

These Regulations shall come into force on the 4th day of August, 1974. 

 

COLONEL P. K. AGYEKUM

Commissioner Responsible for Transport

Date of Gazette Notification: 12th July, 1974.

 
 
