Police mount TraffiTech speed camera warning signs on major roads

The Ghana Police Service has begun erecting large advance warning signs on major roads to alert motorists that TraffiTech-GH speed cameras are approaching. This initiative follows President John Dramani Mahama's directive for police and their partners to be transparent about the locations of these cameras. During the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda, Mahama endorsed the technology as a means to reduce pedestrian fatalities.

"All I will urge is that the police and those implementing TraffiTech should put signs showing where the cameras are," Mahama stated, emphasizing the importance of transparency in the rollout of this innovation. The signs feature a blue-and-yellow reflective gantry, a camera icon, an 80km/h speed limit marker, and a notification that the cameras monitor traffic continuously.

The installation of these signs addresses complaints that the system's automatic fines without visible warnings amounted to entrapment, primarily from commercial drivers and private motorists. The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service operates the TraffiTech-GH system, which employs fixed, mobile, and radar cameras to detect speeding offenses.

Upon detection, the system issues an Electronic Notice of Violation, which sends an SMS to the registered vehicle owner's phone, detailing the offense and the fine. Road safety officials plan to expand the signage to highways and city roads nationwide, and authorities are preparing to activate enforcement measures for running red lights and illegal parking.