No More Hiding – New Cameras Will Catch You If You Speed, Police Warn Drivers

Drivers, take note! The police are coming with new eyes on the road.

From November 1, a new digital system called TRAFFITECH-GH will start monitoring over speeding on Ghana’s roads.

Chief Inspector Kwesi Afful of the Ashanti Regional MTTD and other MTTD bosses have explained how it will work.

This is not the old system where police must stand on the road to catch you. This one uses radar, high-tech cameras, sensors and laser machines to detect you automatically.

The cameras will be fixed on roads, inside police vehicles, and handheld devices. They will capture you if you exceed the speed limit for that road, if you jump red light, if you drive without seatbelt, or if your roadworthy or licence has expired.

Every road has its own speed limit. The radar and cameras know that limit. If you drive 5km/h above that limit, the system will automatically take your picture or video and send it to the MTTD back office.

There, officers will check and validate it, then send you an Electronic Notice of Violation (ENV) via SMS. The sender ID will be GPS-MTTD.

According to ACP Alexander Obeng, Director of Education at MTTD, every 5km/h above the limit attracts GH¢240.

“One penalty unit is GH¢12, so for every 5 kilometers above, it is 20 penalty units, which is GH¢240, so the more you go, the more it goes up,” he explained.

That means if the limit is 50km/h and you drive 60km/h, you are 10km/h over – that is GH¢480.

The fine will be sent to the registered owner of the vehicle, even if someone else was driving. If you sold your car and didn’t update DVLA records, you will still pay.

You can pay on Ghana.gov.gh with MoMo or dial *222# and follow instructions.

If you think the camera is wrong, you have 14 days to contest online and choose a police station for hearing.

Police say emergency vehicles like ambulances will be exempt when on duty.

So drivers, the message is simple: The camera is watching even when no policeman is there. Slow down.

SamuelAppau feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com