The Ghana Police Service has organized a day's sensitisation workshop to educate key stakeholders responsible for road safety in the Western Region on Traffitech-Gh system devised by the Police for the enforcement of road traffic laws. The workshop, held at Fijai in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis of the Western Region, was part of series of engagements being organised by the police to educate stakeholders in the road safety sector on the system for its successful implementation, nationwide. It was organised in collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and brought together key actors in road safety promotion including transport operators, members of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), representatives from the Ghana Highway Authority, and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) among other institutions. Traffitech-Gh (Police Invincible Eyes Are Watching: #PIEAW) is an automated system designed by the Police Service to enforce road traffic laws and regulations to improve on road safety in Ghana. When implemented, the system would use cameras and sensors to automatically take pictures or videos of vehicles that violate road traffic laws and regulations. Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director in charge of Education, Research and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, highlighting the system said it would deploy fixed mobile or in-vehicle and radar gun devices to capture amongst others, speeding vehicles and those that jumped red-light. He said pictures and videos recorded of the offence would then be transmitted to an office for processing. 'Other traffic offences that will be enforced under the system are expired road worthiness certificate, wrongful overtaking, non-use of seatbelts, and use of expired licence among others,' he added. Chief Supt Obeng noted that the Traffitech-Gh system was intended to increase compliance to road safety rules and regulations among users to help reduce road traffic crashes and related incidents in the country. He said the system was part of Police's agenda to digitalise its operations for effective policing. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Dr Francis Tsidi, Deputy Western Regional Police Commander, said human factors contributed majorly to crashes on the roads, adding the system had been developed to check such factors to help improve on safety on the roads. He, therefore, appealed to stakeholders, particularly transport operators to support efforts to help its successful implementation. Mr Henry Asomaning, Head of Project Unit at the NRSA, said the system would promote efficiency and effectiveness by the police in curbing indiscipline on the roads and guarantee the safety of users. Participants at the event took turns to seek clarifications on how the system would work when rolled out to help broaden their understanding to avert challenges during its implementation.

Source: Ghana News Agency