The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority, has held a day’s sensitisation forum for stakeholders in the Volta and Oti Regions on the newly introduced technology, Traffitech-GH.
Traffitech-GH is an automated system developed by the Ghana Police Service to enforce road traffic laws and regulations to improve road safety in the country.
The Director of Education, Research, and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, said the system will help address the increasing and preventable road crashes in the country.
The automated system uses cameras and sensors to take pictures or videos of vehicles that flout road traffic laws such as speeding, jumping red lights, wrongful overtaking, non-use of seatbelts, use of mobile phones while driving, and abuse of sirens, among others.
It works by deploying fixed, mobile, in-vehicle, and radar gun devices to capture the offence and automatically transmit it to a back office for validation.
Chief Superintendent Obeng said the vehicle owner will be notified of the offence by SMS and the necessary actions to be taken. He said perpetrators will be fined an amount between GHC 120 and GHC 240 cedis, while severe cases will be referred to court.
The Acting Director General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), David Osafo Adonteng, said the initiative, which is a shift from manual to automation, is in line with the country’s digitisation policy and commended the Inspector General of Police for bringing it forth.
He said Traffitech-GH will ensure public safety on the road, as most of the crashes recorded were the result of indiscipline on the part of road users, particularly drivers.
On his part, the Volta Regional Police Commander and Deputy Commissioner of Police, Andrews Boadu-Ekumah, said that though the police is mandated to enforce laws and regulations, road users must also conform to the rules and regulations to make the enforcement easier for the police.
He said that when road users fail to comply, there will be disorder, lawlessness, and rampant incidents of road crashes and their associated deaths and injuries.
He believes Traffitech-GH will complement and enhance the enforcement of road traffic laws and regulations. He also urged the public to assist the police in ensuring safety on the road to save lives.
Other stakeholders included the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA) and the National Insurance Commission (NIC), among others.
Source: Seraphine Nyuiemedi
