Bright Simons questions TraffiTech-GH’s enforcement framework, warns of camera abuse and unlawful penalties
The Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, Bright Simons, has raised concerns about aspects of the TraffiTech-GH system, warning that its enforcement mechanisms could be abused and that some of the penalties being proposed may lack legal backing.
Bright Simons, Honorary Vice President of IMANI Africa, has raised concerns about the TraffiTech-GH system, warning of potential abuse of enforcement mechanisms and questionable legal penalties. In an interview on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Simons clarified that not all traffic cameras in Ghana are part of the TraffiTech-GH initiative, as many are linked to national security and other law enforcement operations.
He highlighted the use of dedicated traffic cameras, mobile cameras in unmarked vehicles, and speed guns, emphasizing that the latter can be relocated to traffic hotspots based on identified needs. Simons cautioned that while this flexibility is beneficial for detecting traffic violations, it also poses risks of abuse.
The enforcement system relies on accurately capturing vehicle registration numbers and matching them against records held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA). Traffic violation notices are then sent to registered owners via SMS, giving them 14 days to pay through USSD or contest the offence. Simons questioned the reliability of holding vehicle owners accountable for offenses committed by others, especially when registration details might be inaccurate or compromised.
He also raised doubts about the legal basis for imposing additional penalties, such as a daily 1% surcharge and potential restrictions on license renewal, vehicle registration, and roadworthiness certification. The legal authority for these sanctions remains unclear, according to Simons.
Simons noted that the current focus of the initiative is primarily on speeding, despite the broader system being expected to cover various traffic offences. He argued that concentrating on speeding alone is insufficient, as Ghana has identified between 40 to 47 traffic offences for the enforcement framework. He stressed that the current focus should be on addressing the full spectrum of road indiscipline, though he acknowledged that speeding contributes significantly to road crashes and traffic issues.
Simons urged caution against assuming the system should operate without scrutiny, emphasizing that Ghana's tendency to launch policies without subsequent improvements has been a recurring problem. He stressed that public institutions must be willing to subject their initiatives to independent scrutiny and criticism to identify weaknesses and improve implementation.
Written by urgent.news from MyJoyOnline Ghana's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
