Some of the stakeholders at the event
THE MOTOR Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service (GPS) has adopted a technology to automate traffic law enforcement to strengthen capacity for enforcing road traffic regulation in the country.
The technology known as Traffitech-GH and nicknamed ‘Police Invisible Eyes Are Watching (#PIEAW)’ is an automated system developed by GPS to curb the current road safety problems facing the country.
The system 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 red-light.
This was disclosed at the first stakeholder engagement on Traffitech-GH project on Monday, August 28, 2023 in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital.
Speaking at the event, ASP Frank Abrokwah, the Manhyia Divisional Police commander explained that with the implementation of Traffitech-GH, the police through the MTTD will deploy traffic enforcement cameras to detect, apprehend and prosecute traffic offenders to improve public safety in Ghana and impose appropriate automated fines with the view of increasing deterrence and compliance with road traffic laws and regulations.
According to him, automating traffic law enforcement has resulted in high compliance with road traffic laws and maintaining public order on public road network.
“Traffitech-GH is important to maintain social order within the communities with the view of promoting high cause of public trust in the police by facilitating law abiding behaviours, fostering compliance and cooperation at the same time and increasing the rate of detecting road traffic offences,” he continued.
He stated that in line with the dictates of the project, Ghana Police Service with the support from the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), National Insurance Company (NIC) and others is presently rolling out a system to change road user behaviour related to red-light violation, speeding, vehicle road worthiness and vehicle insurance.
Other systems, he added, are seatbelts/crash helmets, using communication device whiles driving, wrongful parking and driving on the shoulder of the road among others.
The sensitization, he explained, would offer opportunity for the public to understand and appreciate the project and also makes inputs, taking into consideration stakeholder concerns including transport operators, vehicle owners, drivers, motor riders, CSOs and stakeholder support.
Chief Superintendent Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Project Coordinator of Traffitech-GH disclosed that Traffitech- GH will deploy fixed, mobile/ in-vehicle and radar gun devices to capture speeding jumping red-light and other offences on the road.
“Pictures and or videos recorded of the offence are automatically transmitted to a back office for validation and issuance of a notification by SMS to the vehicle owner for payment”, he explained.
According to Chief Superintendent Kwaku Obeng, who doubles as the director in charge of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD, other traffic offences that will be enforced under Traffitech-GH are expired road worthiness certificate, wrongful overtaking, non-use of seatbelts, use of mobile phones while driving with an uninsured vehicle, abuse of siren and other offences.
David Sarfo Adonteng, Acting Director-General of the NRSA in an interview with DAILY GUIDE expressed the hope that the introduction of Traffitech-GH would help reduce carnages on the road.
“With the introduction of this system I am optimistic that our road users would be mindful and drive cautiously,” he remarked.
Ashanti Regional Director of DVLA, Amos Abakah, said his outfit will work in tandem with the law enforcers by providing accurate information of vehicles to the police to reach out to the owners.
FROM David Afum, Kumasi