The Interior Ministry says personnel of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) will continue to operate on Ghana’s roads despite the rollout of a new technology-driven traffic monitoring system, TraffiTech-GH.

Press secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, Julius Anthony, says the introduction of automated traffic monitoring will complement the work of MTTD officers rather than replace them.

The new system is expected to use cameras to detect traffic violations, with offenders receiving evidence of their offences and the corresponding penalties directly on their phones.

Speaking on the JoyNews Newsdesk on Tuesday, August 25, Mr Anthony explained that MTTD personnel would still be required to enforce traffic laws and ensure that offenders are made to face the appropriate legal processes.

“MTTD is not going to completely leave the road simply because the system has been automated,” he said.

He noted that motorists who default on traffic regulations must still be subjected to law enforcement procedures, making the presence of MTTD personnel necessary.

Mr Anthony also identified public education as another key responsibility that will require MTTD officers to remain active on the roads.

According to him, the department plays an important role in educating motorists about road safety and preventing traffic violations and their consequences.

“When there is a need to prosecute people for violating the road traffic offences, we will still need MTTD to do that,” he added.

He further stressed the need for collaboration among the various institutions involved in the implementation of the new traffic technology.

Mr Anthony said the process requires coordination not only among law enforcement agencies and ministries but also with the Judiciary, which will be required to enforce the laws and facilitate prosecution where necessary. “We want synergy between the institutions,” he said.

He explained that the relevant agencies are currently working together to ensure a coordinated system when the technology becomes fully operational.

How TraffiTech works

TraffiTech-GH is an automated traffic enforcement system developed by the Ghana Police Service to monitor road use and improve road safety.

The system uses fixed intersection cameras, mobile vehicle-mounted cameras, handheld and tripod devices, as well as other digital monitoring tools to capture traffic offences.

Detected offences are transmitted to a 24-hour control room, where evidence is reviewed before electronic notices are issued to offenders.

The notices are expected to provide information including the location and date of the offence, the applicable fine and visual evidence of the violation.

Fines are to be paid electronically within 14 days through the Ghana.gov platform.

The system is also designed to reduce direct interactions between motorists and police officers during enforcement, potentially limiting roadside disputes and opportunities for manual handling of traffic fines.

TraffiTech is expected to cover more than 47 traffic offences as part of efforts to improve compliance with road safety regulations and reduce road crashes.