Road safety automation: Drivers to lose licence for road traffic offences

Drivers and motor riders can lose their licences for up to one year if they jump red-lights or over speed, the Ghana Police Service has warned.

Offenders will pay a minimum fine of GHC120 and a maximum of GHC240 electronically for every offence they commit and after the sixth time, they will be prosecuted and have their licences revoked.

The sanction would come into full force by close of the year when the police eventually commission its automated system dubbed, “TraffiTech-GH”, developed to enforce road traffic laws and improve road safety.

Chief Superintendent Alexander Obeng, Director of Public Affairs of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), issued the caution at a stakeholder meeting in Cape Coast as part of a nationwide campaign to sensitise the public on the system.

He noted that the police were currently seeking amendment to the Road Traffic Regulation 2012 (LI 2180) to allow for a smooth rollout of the system.

The system, nicknamed ‘Police Invisible Eyes Are Watching’ (PIEAW), will use cameras and sensors fixed at selected intersections or deployed in unmarked vehicles, to capture vehicles that defy road traffic regulations such as speeding and jumping of red-light.
Other traffic offences that would be enforced through TraffiTech-GH include wrongful overtaking, expired road worthiness, non-use of seatbelt, use of mobile phone while driving, uninsured vehicles, expired licence, and abuse of sirens.

The evidence, captured as photo or video, will then be processed and a ticket sent to the vehicle owner or driver via text message who is then compelled to comply within 14 days.
Chief Superintendent Obeng explained that the deployment of technology to augment road safety efforts had become necessary due to the high incidence of preventable road crashes in the country.

He said between January and August alone, Ghana recorded more than 9,300 preventable crashes involving 15,900 vehicles, mostly due to excessive speeding.

He further indicated that at least 1,400 people died from the crashes while more than 10,000 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

Even though road crash incidents had reduced consistently over the past two years, the current numbers were still unacceptable because many of them were avoidable.
“By the close of this year, the first caution notice will be deployed and that person will be interviewed to let everybody see him to serve as example.

“And then before next year, we pray that the first ticket that will attract a fine will also be issued to an offender who will not be cautious,” he said.

Chief Superintendent Obeng was hopeful that the system would instil deterrence due to the fear of being detected, apprehended and sanctioned.

“We believe that many of our road users, for one reason or the other think once the police is not physically present, they will not conduct themselves well or act appropriately,” he added.

Since the system will be working in sync with traffic lights and road markings, he assured that they were working with all relevant stakeholders to get the needed road infrastructure functional.

ACP Charles Kofi Adu, Central Regional Police Commander, maintained that road safety was a shared responsibility and urged discipline among the public to make the roads safer.