MTTD launches Traffitech-GH app …To check acts of lawlessness on roads

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