Advanced traffic cameras can help curb speeding – MTTD Commanding Officer
Commanding Officer of the Motor Traffic & Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in Accra, DCOP Martin Ayiih, believes the installation of advanced traffic cameras at vantage points nationwide will help check irresponsible driving and speeding on the country’s roads.
According to him, such technology will serve as a deterrent to drivers and will, in the long run, reduce road crashes in the country.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, April 14, 2021, DCOP Martin Ayiih stated that although most intersections in the capital city, Accra, have cameras, these devices are only able to capture the crashes and not the speed the drivers were travelling at before they occurred.
“Most intersections in Accra have cameras now but those cameras don’t record speed, they only record the event of a crash. And a lot of times you will be marvelled at how the accounts of an accident given by drivers are completely contrary to what is captured on camera, and you can tell they are either not aware of the cameras or they do not know what the cameras do. So we will say that we need more advanced cameras that can capture the speed as well,” he added.
DCOP Ayiih made the remark while sharing his view on ways to reduce road crashes in Ghana.
Statistics from the MTTD shows that about 771 persons perished in road crashes from January to March 2021, while over 4,000 crashes have been recorded within the same period.
Citi TV, in partnership with the MTTD in May 2019, arrested and prosecuted recalcitrant drivers in Accra and other parts of the country in an initiative dubbed the ‘War Against Indiscipline.’
Also speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Chief Executive Officer of Citi TV/Citi FM, Samuel Attah-Mensah said the War Against Indiscipline will soon be re-introduced.
“Thankfully, the signal that we are getting from the Greater Accra Regional Minister is that he is very interested in this, and we are in talks with him as well to resurrect this whole War Against Indiscipline. Last week we had a short meeting with the police with the aim of trying to bring it back which they are open to. But we will try and sort out the issues that plagued us the first time so that we can make progress,” he stated.
Source: CNR
