Speaker Orders MPs: Surrender Your Sirens, Police Escorts

Speaker Alban Bagbin has directed Members of Parliament to comply immediately with a new Cabinet directive restricting the use of police escort services and sirens on both official and private vehicles.

In a communication to Parliament on Tuesday July 21, 2026, Speaker Bagbin said his office had received a formal communication from the Minister for the Interior outlining restrictions on the use of police resources.

“Honourable Members, according to the communication, Cabinet, in compliance with existing law, has requested, among other things, that no person shall install or use a siren on any official or private vehicle without the prior written authorisation of the Minister responsible for the Interior,” the Speaker read on the Floor of the House.

The directive also requires written approval from the Interior Minister or the Inspector General of Police, acting on behalf of the Minister, before any individual can utilize police escort services.

Speaker Bagbin explained that the Ghana Police Service had been mandated to enforce the directive by removing and seizing unauthorised sirens, discontinuing unauthorised police escort services and pursuing legal action where necessary.

The Speaker noted that the indiscriminate installation and use of sirens undermine road safety, weaken public confidence in lawful authority and diminish the effectiveness of emergency and security services whose operations genuinely require priority access.

He urged MPs who require clarification regarding the application of the directive to seek appropriate guidance through established institutional channels.

“I encourage all Members to take note of the contents of the directive and to ensure that in the use of police resources, police escort services, and sirens, Members act at all times in accordance with the Constitution, the laws of Ghana, and all lawful administrative requirements,” Speaker Bagbin stated.

Speaker Alban Bagbin said his office would continue to engage constructively with the Executive, the Ghana Police Service and all relevant state institutions on matters affecting security operations, the privileges of Members of Parliament and the independence of Parliament.

 

Police operation

The directive comes as the Ghana Police Service intensifies a nationwide enforcement operation against the illegal use of sirens, strobe lights, and unauthorised vehicle modifications.

Since the operation began on 15 June 2026, police have intercepted 4,627 vehicles across the country, with 1,054 in the Greater Accra Region alone.

The Police Service has warned that anyone found using illegal sirens, beacon lights, or other unauthorised modifications will face enforcement action.

Officers have been educating offending drivers on relevant traffic laws before removing and confiscating illegal devices for further action.

The Police Service said the nationwide exercise would continue and urged motorists to comply with the Road Traffic Regulations to promote safer and more orderly roads.