The Ghana Police Service (GPS) has recently implemented an automated system to improve the overall safety of drivers and to ensure that road traffic regulations are adhered to.
The system that monitors road traffic is called Traffictech-GH, and it uses cameras and sensors to record images and recordings of vehicles that violate traffic regulations.
Because violations and penalties would be communicated through the use of a short message service, the system will also ensure that drivers will no longer need to be pulled over by the police while they are driving on highways.
The concept was made public during a high-profile stakeholder engagement that was focused on improving the safety of driving.
At the event, the Director-General of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department, COP Francis Ebenezer Doku, stated that the system operates automated fines with the goal of improving both deterrent and compliance on the road. He said this was done in order to increase the efficiency of the department.
He insisted that this programme will assist drivers in complying with the laws and regulations that govern the use of roads.
“Traffictech-Ghana is important to maintain social order within the communities with a view to one protecting high sense of public trust in the police, facilitating law-abiding behaviours, fostering compliance and cooperation at the same time, and increasing the rate of detecting road traffic offenses,” he said.
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Ghana Police Service efforts on traffic
The Ghana Police Service formally launched its surveillance facility to inspect and police drivers all around the country about two years ago.
According to the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCOP), Aboagye-Nyarko, the purpose of implementing the surveillance programme as part of the new Police Administration was to ensure that there was a decrease in indiscipline on the roadways.
According to the Superintendent of Police, Dr. Samuel Sasu Mensah, Director of MTTD, the ongoing monitoring system is currently installed on major roads and crossroads throughout all 18 police regions.
Because the technology maps road networks across the entire country, it will be easier for the MTTD to monitor the degree of disobedience that exists on the nation’s roadways.
The MTTD is in charge of managing the centre, which is responsible for carrying out traffic monitoring and surveillance across the entirety of the country. This is accomplished with the use of specialised CCTV cameras known as Intelligence Video Surveillance (IVS), which are set up at numerous crossroads, important sites, and highways all over the nation.
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The operation system
Agents are stationed at the surveillance cameras to monitor the consoles and keep an eye out for road traffic violations such as illegal parking, risky driving, soliciting for passengers or alighting passengers at unauthorised places, and disregarding road markings, to name a few. They are also on the lookout for anyone disregarding road markings.
Agents took notes on violations and identified vehicles, noting the registration number, colour, and manufacturer of each vehicle. They then sent this information to the Drivers and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA), which conducts additional checks on the information.
After the information has been confirmed, it is then sent to the police station that is responsible for prosecuting the offence in the area where it occurred.