The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has identified vehicle ownership, insurance records and trade-licence arrangements as some of the issues prompting motorists to contest electronic notices of violation during the system’s initial implementation.
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD indicated that “fewer than 100 people have formally challenged the tickets despite thousands of notices being issued to vehicle owners.” He described the number of complaints for the first week of the rollout as “relatively low at this early stage.”
“We knew some of these issues because of the data issue and also the problem of non-compliance with the transfer of vehicle ownership. The law says that if you sell your vehicle, you and the prospective owner are required to hand over the vehicle and go through the process of having your name removed from the vehicle registration.”
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng
Furthermore, the Director of Education explained that some motorists contest the notices on the grounds that they no longer own the vehicles captured by the cameras. However, he identified failure to complete the statutory transfer process after a sale as a significant source of the problem.
ACP Obeng outlined that vehicle sellers and prospective buyers are required to visit the appropriate registration office to have the previous owner’s name removed and the new owner’s details entered into the records. He observed that many motorists neglect this obligation, leaving the former owner’s information attached to a vehicle that has already changed hands.
In addition, the MTTD has encountered complaints involving insurance brokers whose telephone numbers appear in motor insurance records instead of those of the actual vehicle owners. The Director explained that some brokers enter their own contact details when “arranging periodic insurance renewals for clients” meaning electronic notices may reach the brokers when the vehicles incur speeding violations.
Another category involves trade-licence number plates, which are legally issued to registered trade-licence holders. ACP Obeng clarified that when a dealer rents out such plates, the electronic notice goes to the licence holder whose details appear in the database, even if another person was using the vehicle when the offence occurred.
He cautioned that dealers who rent out their plates must recognise the implications of having their information attached to the registration records. Some holders, he noted, may have arrangements allowing other people to use the plates for extended periods, creating disputes when enforcement notices are subsequently issued.
Nevertheless, ACP Obeng indicated that the MTTD is working to resolve the complaints and improve the accuracy of the information used by the system. He also pointed to ongoing changes in vehicle registration and transport-related administrative processes as measures intended to strengthen the state’s ability to identify vehicle owners accurately.
TraffiTech-GH Targets Speeding As Leading Road Fatality Cause
As the rollout of TraffiTech-GH gathers momentum, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has identified speeding as the principal traffic offence targeted by the digital enforcement system. The decision reflects the department’s concern about the role of excessive and inappropriate speed in road fatalities and serious injuries in Ghana.
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD, explained that the decision to prioritise speeding was informed by an analysis of national road crash records dating back to 1991.
“If 100 people are dead, when we go and investigate, we always realise, based on the impact and our investigation, that almost about 60 out of 100, sometimes 59, but 60 on average, die or sustain serious injuries as a result of drivers who are engaging in excessive speeding above the limit or inappropriate speed.”
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng
The Director of Education indicated that although the police have a mandate to gather evidence on approximately 49 traffic offences, the department considered the available data and identified the violations that demanded immediate technological intervention. Consequently, speeding became the initial focus of TraffiTech-GH, with the objective of reducing preventable deaths and protecting road users.
After examining the crash statistics compiled over several decades, the MTTD shared the information with the National Road Safety Authority and the Building and Road Research Institute for further analysis. The findings informed the decision to concentrate enforcement on speeding, particularly because the department could deploy available technology to identify vehicles exceeding prescribed limits.
In addition, the Director of Education observed that the approach follows enforcement practices adopted by police institutions in several jurisdictions, where speeding is often prioritised as “an initial measure for improving road discipline.”
He indicated that narrowing the system’s immediate scope would enable the police to establish a more effective relationship between vehicle owners, drivers and compliance with speed regulations.
ACP Obeng further elucidated that the electronic system captures evidence when a vehicle exceeds the applicable speed limit and processes an electronic notice of violation. The notice, which is generated within approximately three minutes, is sent to the vehicle owner’s registered contact number through the MTTD’s system, in accordance with Regulation 242, sub-regulation 18.
Moreover, he explained that the notice goes to the registered owner because the police may not immediately know who was driving when the offence occurred. However, the owner can identify the person responsible and transfer the ticket to that driver for the necessary action.
The MTTD Director also pointed to the potential of technology to minimise direct confrontations between motorists and police officers during enforcement.
In his assessment, reducing physical interactions could help address opportunities for bribery and corruption while ensuring that traffic violations attract consistent consequences.
READ ALSO: Poland Mourns Six Killed In Krakow Shooting Attack
