ACP Waabu

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Police Service on Wednesday launched the Traffitech-GH, an automated system developed by the service to enforce road traffic laws and regulations to improve road safety in the country.

The system uses cameras and sensors to automatically capture pictures and/or videos of vehicles that flouted road traffic laws and regulations such as speeding and jumping of red light.

It also enforces other traffic offences like expired road worthiness certificate, wrong overtaking, driving with uninsured vehicles, among others.

The Upper West Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Gabriel Prince Waabu, who made this known at the launch at Wa, explained that owners of vehicles that committed road traffic offences would receive text messages detailing the date, location and time of the offence and also diagnose the offence and fine to be paid via mobile money.

The initiative, he noted, will enhance compliance with road traffic laws and regulations to reduce road traffic accidents, injuries and deaths in the country

ACP Waabu noted that failure to comply with road traffic laws and regulations would lead to disorder and rampant road crashes associated with deaths and injuries.

The Director of Research and Education at the MTTD, Chief Superintendent (C/Supt.) Alexander Kwaku Obeng expressed confidence that the system would be rolled out by the end of the year and cautioned road users to endeavour to abide by road traffic rules and regulations.

He maintained that the intervention would include installing cameras at vantage points as well as use vehicle tracking devices to monitor motorists on the road.

He said other offences that would be enforced under the Traffitech-GH include non-use of seatbelts, use of mobile phone while driving, riding without crash helmet, and over speeding.

He said the system would automatically transfer recorded video and pictures to the office for confirmation and issuance of a notification by mobile phone text message to the vehicle owner for payment

“The payment mode shall be specified in the notification message, the offender would pay a penalty of one per cent on the original Traffitech-GH fine for each day of default after a 14 day allowance payment period”, he said

He advised the public to be self-disciplined on the road to ensure the safety of all.

The event was attended by representatives of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Ghana Highway Authority (GHA), transport unions, National Insurance Commission (NIC) and personnel from the various security agencies.

From Rafia Abdul Razak, Wa