Mr. Cecil Ebow Garbrah Reveals How Ghana’s TraffiTech-GH Detected Speeding
Mr. Cecil Ebow Garbrah (CEO of Toptech Ghana), has shared how an automated speed monitoring system detected him driving above the speed limit while using another person’s car, during the piloting stage of Ghana Police Service’s newly introduced, TraffiTech-GH.
He indicated that the experience demonstrated how digital traffic enforcement can work without a police officer stopping a motorist. Recounting the incident on Joy News, he said he received a speeding notification while driving on a highway in a vehicle belonging to lady friend. He said he had left his phone in another car, so he asked the friend who had his phone to wait as he was driving to the Eastern Region from Aburi. The notification was sent to the vehicle owner’s phone. “I got a message that I’m driving beyond the speed limit,” he said.
Mr Cecil Ebow Garbrah explained that he was driving at 60 kilometres per hour in an area where the speed limit was 50 kilometres per hour.“The lady that I was driving her car rather got a message that you are overspeeding,” he said. According to him, the notification also served as a caution that another speeding violation could result in a fine.“The next time this is a caution, so the next time you are going to pay a fine,” he recalled.
He said the experience convinced him that automated traffic monitoring could identify violations and notify vehicle owners without requiring direct interaction between drivers and police officers. He further addressed questions about how the technology could identify motorists and connect traffic violations to the appropriate vehicle owners.
He pointed to the details required during vehicle registration, saying the Ghana Card and a phone number already form part of the process. “We’ve all forgotten that when we are registering our vehicle this time, it is nothing else than your Ghana Card and your phone number,” he said.
He expressed confidence that these details could help support the operation of automated traffic enforcement systems, although he acknowledged that the introduction of the technology could present some initial difficulties.
According to him, the system would require public education and adjustments as motorists become familiar with how it works. He also argued that automated notifications could make enforcement less stressful for motorists, who may otherwise face difficult encounters when stopped by police officers. “The issue of the human beings being confronted, the police, they go through hell. It is not easy,” he said.
