The government’s implementation of surveillance cameras on some main traffic intersections in the country, to check violations of road traffic regulations and street crimes, is yielding dividends.
According to the police administration, the project has led to the arrest of 252 drivers for violating traffic regulations and other crimes.
The drivers, monitored by the Traffic Monitoring and Surveillance Centre currently being managed by officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) at the police headquarters in Accra, were captured on camera at various locations.
The centre is a flagship programme of the police administration to check indiscipline on the roads as well as fight street robbery and other crimes.
The Director General in charge of Motor Traffic and Transport Department, DCOP Francis Aboagye-Nyarko said the surveillance cameras are currently operational in all the 18 police regions in the country.
“The presence of the surveillance cameras does not mean that personnel will also not be deployed for traffic duties,” he said, adding that “this is to augment their work.”
DCOP Aboagye-Nyarko continued that personnel are still being deployed and the presence of the cameras will also check the activities of police officers on the roads as well as street robberies.
“The cameras capture reckless driving and based on the videos we are able to trace such drivers to face the law. We believe that this will help the police to fight indiscipline and reduce the unnecessary road carnages that we are witnessing,” he said.
The Director in charge of MTTD, Supt. Dr. Samuel Sasu-Mensah said the cameras fixed at various intersections and vantage points, makes it possible for the police to arrest drivers who commit various road offences.
“This centre is fitted with large screens with personnel monitoring for any breaches of road traffic regulations. Incidents such as speeding and red light enforcement, parking and stopping violations among others, are being captured,” he said.
He added that “normally when such drivers are arrested, they often deny but when they are shown the videos, they then start to beg.”
Taking journalists through activities at the centre, Chief Inspector Joseph Dzanu, in charge of the centre, said there are officers monitoring the cameras 24 hours and taking the vehicle numbers of drivers who flout the laws.
He said with the help of DVLA officials, such vehicles are traced and culprits arrested.
“As you can see, the officers monitoring the cameras are checking reckless and dangerous driving such as commercial passenger vehicles picking vehicles at unauthorized places, parking at unauthorized spots, and jumping red lights among other forms of driving which exposes other road users to danger.”
By Linda Tenyah-Ayettey