The government is set to reduce direct contact between motorists and police officers as Ghana rolls out a new digital system to detect and enforce road traffic offences from September 2026.
Known as TraffiTech-GH, it is a technology-driven traffic enforcement system to identify, track and penalise motorists who violate road traffic regulations.
Deputy Minister for the Interior, Ebenezer Terlabi, says the initiative will allow the police to monitor activities on the country’s roads remotely, with cameras and other digital devices capturing traffic violations for review at a central control room.
Speaking in an interview on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Mr Terlabi explained that the system is intended to minimise human contact during traffic enforcement while improving the effectiveness of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD).
He said the police control room would have a central role in monitoring activities on the roads and reviewing offences captured by the digital system.
“The police control room will be monitoring everything on our roads, so the human contact will be minimal,” he said.
According to him, the presence of police officers on some roads can sometimes contribute to traffic congestion, particularly at points where motorists are stopped for checks.
“Most of the time people encounter traffic on parts of the road and you will realise it’s because the police are there,” he noted.
Mr Terlabi, however, stressed that the introduction of the digital system would not prevent the police from conducting routine searches or setting up checkpoints when necessary.
He explained that the new arrangement is not intended to weaken the authority of the police but rather to make traffic enforcement more efficient.
“But that doesn’t mean they won’t do routine searching or check points. That will all work so you can’t undermine the police when you are stopped,” he said.
The Deputy Interior Minister emphasised that the digitalisation programme should not be interpreted as replacing police officers or their responsibilities.
“We are not replacing the work of the police but we are improving them,” he added.
Under the new system, cameras and other digital devices will be used to detect traffic violations, while police personnel will assess the footage from a central control room before electronic notices are issued to offenders.
The system is expected to cover more than 47 traffic offences, with motorists receiving electronic notifications indicating the offence committed, the applicable penalty and the process for making payment.
The government says the move is also expected to reduce opportunities for corruption by limiting face-to-face interactions between motorists and police officers during traffic enforcement.
The digital traffic enforcement system forms part of broader reforms by the Ministry of the Interior aimed at modernising policing and improving service delivery through technology.
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