Economist and political risk specialist Dr Theo Acheampong has outlined five key measures that will determine whether Ghana’s new automated traffic enforcement system, TRAFFITECH-GH, succeeds in reducing road accidents and improving driver discipline.

According to him, although the introduction of traffic cameras is a step in the right direction, the system’s effectiveness will depend on the government’s ability to address existing road infrastructure challenges and ensure fairness in enforcing traffic regulations.

In a post on X following the rollout of TRAFFITECH-GH on November 1, Dr Acheampong said installing cameras alone would not resolve the country’s road safety challenges.

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“Automated traffic enforcement is overdue in Ghana, but cameras alone will not fix our roads,” he stated.

He outlined five key measures that he believes must be addressed to make the system effective.

1. Ensure proper road markings and functioning traffic lights

Dr Acheampong said roads must have clear markings and functioning traffic lights before motorists are fined for traffic violations.

He argued that drivers should not be penalised for lane violations where road markings are missing or for running red lights where traffic signals are not working.

2. Provide clear and accessible speed limit information

He called for clear speed limit signs across the country, particularly on roads leading into towns and communities.

He also proposed an online speed limit map to help motorists identify the applicable limits and avoid unintended violations.

3. Improve vehicle registration records

Dr Acheampong said information held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Ghana Card authorities and insurance companies must be aligned to ensure that traffic fines are sent to the correct vehicle owners.

He explained that accurate and consistent records would help prevent fines from being wrongly assigned.

4. Establish a fair and transparent appeals process

He called for a fair and efficient process that would allow motorists to access evidence of alleged offences online and challenge wrongful fines before an independent panel.

He also urged the authorities to publish data on overturned fines to promote transparency and build public confidence in the system.

5. Channel traffic fines into road safety improvements

The fifth measure, according to Dr Acheampong, is to ensure that revenue from traffic fines is used to improve road safety rather than simply generate income for the government.

He proposed that money collected from fines should be paid into a dedicated Road Safety Fund to support safety improvements.

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Beyond the five measures, Dr Acheampong recommended introducing penalty points on driving licences alongside fines to ensure that traffic offenders face consequences regardless of their income levels.

He maintained that addressing these areas would be critical to making TRAFFITECH-GH effective, fair and focused on protecting lives on Ghana’s roads.

🚦 TRAFFITECH-GH went live on 1 November. Automated traffic enforcement is overdue in Ghana, but cameras alone will not fix our roads.
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Five things that will determine whether it works:
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🛣️ 1. Infrastructure before enforcement. No fines for lane violations where lanes are unmarked, or red-light jumping where the lights are dead. Every camera site should pass an infrastructure audit before it goes live.

🚸 2. Clear speed signs and transition zones. A consistent national limit hierarchy, with graduated step-downs on the approach to towns. Publish the speed limit map online so drivers can plan, not guess.

🚘 3. A clean vehicle registry. Notices go to the registered owner, so DVLA, Ghana Card and insurance records must match.

⚖️ 4. A fair and fast contest process. Drivers must be able to view the evidence online and challenge it within days before an independent panel. Publish the reversal statistics.

💰 5. Fines for safety, not revenue. Ring-fence the money into a Road Safety Fund and pair fines with demerit points on the licence, so the sanction bites regardless of income.

#RoadSafety #Ghana #TRAFFITECHGH #PublicPolicy

— Theo Acheampong, PhD (@mytheoz) November 2, 2026