The Ghana Police Service has issued a stern warning to drivers and motorcyclists who disregard traffic rules such as jumping red lights and over-speeding. These traffic violators could face the loss of their licenses for up to a year.
Moreover, they will be fined between GHC120 and GHC240 for each offense, and after six offenses, they will face prosecution and revocation of their licenses.
By the end of the year, these penalties will be fully enforced as the police launch their automated system, “TraffiTech-GH”. This system has been developed to uphold road traffic laws and enhance road safety. The announcement was made by Chief Superintendent Alexander Obeng, Director of Public Affairs of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), during a stakeholder meeting in Cape Coast. This meeting was part of a nationwide campaign to educate the public about the system.
The police are currently working towards amending the Road Traffic Regulation 2012 (LI 2180) to facilitate the smooth rollout of the system. The system, also known as ‘Police Invisible Eyes Are Watching’ (PIEAW), will utilize cameras and sensors installed at specific intersections or in unmarked vehicles. These devices will detect vehicles that violate traffic regulations such as speeding, jumping red lights, wrongful overtaking, expired road worthiness, non-use of seatbelt, use of mobile phone while driving, uninsured vehicles, expired license, and misuse of sirens.
The evidence collected, either in the form of photos or videos, will be processed and a ticket will be sent to the vehicle owner or driver via a text message.
The recipient is then required to comply within 14 days. Chief Superintendent Obeng explained that the introduction of technology to supplement road safety efforts has become necessary due to the high number of preventable road crashes in the country.
He stated that Ghana recorded over 9,300 preventable crashes involving 15,900 vehicles between January and August alone, with most of these accidents being caused by excessive speeding.
SOURCE: Senali News Ghana
