The Ghana Police Service is set to introduce an automated system for detecting speeding motorists and issuing electronic tickets as part of efforts to reduce road crashes across the country.
Director of Research, Education and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, announced the move during an interview on Bullet TV’s Morning Target.
According to ACP Obeng, the initiative is aimed at tackling one of the major causes of road crashes — excessive and inappropriate speeding — while improving the efficiency of traffic law enforcement.
He explained that the new system will allow police cameras to detect speeding vehicles without necessarily stopping motorists at checkpoints.
Under the new system, cameras mounted on tripods, police patrol vehicles and fixed poles at identified hazardous locations will capture motorists who exceed the permitted speed limits.
The information will be transmitted automatically to a police back office, where an electronic notice of violation will be generated and sent to the driver.
ACP Obeng said motorists could therefore receive a ticket on their phones while still on the road instead of being stopped by a police officer.
The system will indicate details including the location, date, time and nature of the traffic violation.
He said payments for the tickets will be made through the Ghana.gov.gh platform, eliminating the need for motorists to hand money to police officers.
The move, he explained, is intended to make enforcement more transparent while encouraging motorists to comply with traffic regulations even when police officers are not physically present.
ACP Obeng said the automated system is also designed to address the practice where some drivers slow down when approaching police checkpoints but resume speeding after passing them.
He explained that police vehicles fitted with mobile cameras would patrol roads and capture motorists who engage in excessive speeding between checkpoints.
According to him, a previous deployment of an in-vehicle camera system on the Accra-Cape Coast road recorded about 2,000 traffic violation events.
He said the technology would give the police an “invisible” presence on the roads and encourage drivers to comply with speed limits throughout their journeys rather than only when they see police officers.
“The object is for drivers to self-comply in-traffic when police is not there,” ACP Obeng said.
ACP Obeng said the introduction of automated enforcement is necessary because speeding continues to contribute significantly to road crashes in Ghana.
He disclosed that about 90 to 96 per cent of road crashes are linked to human activities, based on police crash data collected over the years.
He further said about 62 out of every 100 crashes are caused by excessive or inappropriate speed.
Other factors include dangerous manoeuvres at junctions, pedestrian-vehicle conflicts, unsafe motorcycle use, dangerous overtaking, tailgating and distracted driving.
ACP Obeng warned motorists that the new enforcement system would come with sanctions for persistent offenders.
He said speeding attracts a minimum fine of GH¢240 per violation, while repeated violations could eventually result in the cancellation of a driver’s licence.
He therefore urged drivers to observe the prescribed speed limits and avoid behaviour that puts other road users at risk.
The automated enforcement system forms part of the police’s transition from manual speed monitoring to technology-driven traffic enforcement under the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (LI 2519).
ACP Obeng said the police are currently building capacity and testing the system, with further public education expected in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of the Interior, DVLA, National Road Safety Authority and other stakeholders.
He said the ultimate goal is to improve compliance, strengthen deterrence and reduce preventable crashes, injuries and deaths on Ghana’s roads.
CREDIT: MAVIS FANTEVI