ROAD TRAFFIC OFFENCES REGULATIONS, 1974 (LI 952).

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 IIICONSTRUCTION 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 IVCOMMERCIAL 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 VGENERAL
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 ILICENSING
Regulation 1Driving 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 2Taxi 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 3Road Worthiness Certificate.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle unless a valid certificate of roadworthiness is
carried on the vehicle.
Regulation 4Number 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 5L 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 6Marks 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 IIUSE OF VEHICLES
Regulation 7Opening 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 8Alighting.
(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 9Reversing.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle backwards further than may be necessary for
turning or some other reasonable purpose.
Regulation 10Obstruction.
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 11Parking 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 12Traffic 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 13Traffic 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 14Police 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 15Speeding.
(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 16Insecure 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 17Overcrowding 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 18Riding Outside Vehicle.
No person shall ride on the wing, running boards, fenders, bonnet, steps or tail-board
of a motor vehicle or trailer.
Regulation 19Motor 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 20Bicycle 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 21Unattended 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 IIICONSTRUCTION OF VEHICLES
Regulation 22Vehicles 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 23Speedometer.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a speedometer,or with a damaged,
defective or inoperative speedometer.
Regulation 24Brake Lights.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a brake light,or with a damaged,
defective or inoperative brake light.
Regulation 25Indicators.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle without at least two direction indicators, or with
a damaged, defective or inoperative indicator.
Regulation 26Headlamps.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle without headlamps, or with a damaged,
defective or inoperative headlamp.
Regulation 27Windscreen 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 28Mirrors.
No person shall drive a motor vehicle without a driving mirror, or with a damaged,
defective or inoperative driving mirror.
Regulation 29Shock 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 30Tyres.
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 31Spare 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 32Silencer.

No person shall drive a motor vehicle with an inefficient silencer, or with a cut out or
open exhaust.
Regulation 33Exhaust 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 34Bicycle Brake, Light and Bell.
No person shall ride a bicycle which is not fitted with an efficient brake, light and bell.
PART IVCOMMERCIAL VEHICLES
Regulation 35Over 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 36Refusing 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 37Loitering.
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 38Table 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 39Unauthorised 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 40Excess 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 41Seats.
(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 42Fire 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 43Unnecessary 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 VGENERAL
Regulation 44Penalties.
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 45Interpretation.
(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 46Effect of Road Traffic Regulations.
The Road Traffic Regulations, 1974 (L.I. 953) shall have effect subject to the
provisions of these Regulations.
Regulation 47Commencement.
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.