The Ghana Police Service (GPS) says it is set to rollout an automated system to effectively enforce road traffic laws and regulations in the country.
Commissioner of Police (COP) Mr Francis E. Doku, Director-General, Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD). said the system would increase compliance with road traffic laws and regulations and reduce road traffic crashes, deaths and injuries.
He made the comments on Thursday during a stakeholder engagement in Accra.
The event was attended by representatives from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana Highway Authority, Department of Urban Roads, Transport Unions, amongst others.
Traffitech-Gh (Police Invisible Eyes) is an automated device developed by the GPS which uses cameras and sensors to automatically take a picture and/or video of vehicles that flout road traffic laws and regulations such as speeding and jumping of redlight.
Mr Doku said failure to comply with road traffic laws and regulations would lead to disorder, lawlessness and rampant road crashes and associated deaths and injuries.
He said the engagement would be replicated in all regions taking into consideration stakeholder concerns, including transport operators, vehicle owners, drivers, motor riders, Civil Society Organisations and the media.
Mr David Osafo Adonteng, Acting Director General, NRSA, expressed excitement over the transition from manual to digitalisation.
Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Research and Education, MTTD, said hopefully, the system would be rolled out by December 2023 with some people receiving caution notices.
He said for a start, four cameras would be installed in anonymous vehicles that would drive on the streets together with other cars to monitor road users.
Four cameras would also be fixed on poles with seven others installed on tripods that can be fixed anywhere, collapsed and taken elsewhere at different time intervals.
Chief Supt. Obeng, also the Project Coordinator, said with time, more cameras would be installed at various highways and road corridors, adding that the Police would ensure that the cameras were not tampered with.
He said the system would automatically transfer recorded pictures and/or videos to a back office for validation and issuance of a notification by SMS to the vehicle owner for payment.
“Traffitech-GH will also send a notification, indicating the location, date and time of the traffic offence, as well as the vehicle registration number, offence description and payment amount and deadline,” he added.
Chief Supt. Obeng said other offences that would be enforced under Traffitech- GH include expired road worthiness certificate, wrongful overtaking, non-use of seatbelts, use of mobile phones while driving, use of expired license, driving with an uninsured vehicle and abuse of siren.
He said an offender only needed to pay the fine specified on the ticket and did not have to go to court unless to challenge the ticket.
Payment of Traffitech-GH fine can be made through Mobile Money, online via www.Traffitech-Gh.gov.gh or physically at any Bank within 14 days from the date of issuance of the notification.
The procedure for payment shall be specified in the notification. An offender will pay an additional one per cent penalty on the original Traffitech-GH fine for each day of default after the 14 days allowable payment period.
Mr Albert Kwabena Dwumfour, President, Ghana Journalist Association (GJA) said in the era of digitalisation, any institution that decided to digitalise its operations must receive support from all stakeholders.
He lauded the efforts of the Police and stakeholders and called for a broader stakeholder engagement to garner more support for the project.
Mr Dwumfour said the GJA would continue to support such worthy initiatives and urged the media to be circumspect in their reportage on road safety issues.
Mr Henry Asomaning, Head of Project Unit, NRSA said issues influencing proper use of the road included wrongful overtaking , driving against traffic , driving on the shoulder of the road , wrongful overtaking , driving against traffic , driving on the road shoulders , intolerance, impatience, inattentiveness and mal-functioning traffic lights .
He said in Ghana, speeding contributed to more than 60 per cent of all collisions, crashes and injuries therefore tackling speeding was crucial to road safety.
“A great future awaits Ghanaians in using technology to address road safety. Let’s work together,” he said.
GNA