President John Dramani Mahama has directed the police and authorities implementing the TraffiTech-GH traffic enforcement system to install clear signposts indicating the locations of speed cameras to alert motorists ahead of time. The President stressed that transparency is essential when introducing new technologies and measures, insisting that drivers must be adequately informed about the presence of speed cameras on the roads.
He also dismissed suggestions that the government should first improve road infrastructure before rolling out the TraffiTech-GH system, arguing that road safety enforcement should not be delayed until road conditions become perfect. President Mahama explained that speeding remains a major threat to lives, particularly among schoolchildren who are frequently knocked down and killed or left with permanent injuries while returning home from school. He said controlling excessive speeding was therefore necessary to protect vulnerable road users.
According to him, the TraffiTech-GH system is currently focused on detecting speeding, with other traffic violations, including running red lights and illegal parking, yet to be incorporated. Responding to calls for road improvements before the system’s implementation, he pointed out that even countries such as the United Kingdom have speed cameras despite not having perfect roads.
However, he maintained that authorities must ensure motorists are adequately warned about camera locations through visible road signs, reiterating that transparency is key to the successful introduction of the initiative.
On concerns that the fines imposed under TraffiTech-GH are too expensive, President Mahama maintained that motorists can avoid the penalties by obeying speed limits. “If it is too expensive, then don’t overspeed. That’s all. There is a solution to it,” he said. President Mahama spoke to 1957 News on the newly introduced TraffiTech-GH system on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government, at Jumby Bay Island in Antigua and Barbuda.
The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service rolled out TraffiTech-GH on November 1, deploying camera technology to detect traffic violations, with the initial phase focusing on speeding.
