Police are examining complaints arising from the first week of TraffiTech-GH enforcement, including fines issued to rented trade plates, previous owners of sold vehicles and motorists affected by inaccurate records.
ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training at the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), said every dispute had been under review since live camera enforcement began on 1 November.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, 7 November, he said the system’s cameras were homologated, verified by the government’s engineer and calibrated by the Ghana Standards Authority.
The GH¢77.73 million project has been defended by ruling-party communicators as a life-saving measure, but policy analysts and other commentators questioned its penalty system and the division of collected fines, with 60 per cent going to the state and 40 per cent to a private operator.
Why motorists are receiving disputed fines
Under the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), camera-detected Electronic Notices of Violation (ENVs) are sent by SMS from GPS-MTTD to the vehicle owner recorded by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Obeng said the misuse of DVLA trade licence plates was one of the main sources of complaints. Registered dealers can legally obtain trade plates and rent them out, but any speeding or red-light violation recorded against a plate is sent to the dealer who registered it, not the person renting it.
Other disputes involve vehicles that have already been sold. Under official TraffiTech-GH guidance, the seller remains legally responsible for offences and late penalties until the buyer’s name and phone number are changed in the DVLA register.
The MTTD is also addressing discrepancies in its database. Motorists can check outstanding fines using 220#, view video evidence online or challenge a notice within 14 days.
Questions over the private-sector agreement
The Ministry of Finance’s 2024 Annual Report on Public-Private Partnership Projects and its PPP project registry show that the Interior Ministry signed an 11-year concession with Nationwide Traffic Management and Enforcement Limited (NTMEL) on 23 December 2022.
NTMEL financed, built and operates the GH¢77.73 million infrastructure. Under the expected arrangement, the government receives 60 per cent of fines and NTMEL 40 per cent until December 2033.
Swedish company Sensys Gatso Group supplies the cameras and software. It worked with local promoter Franco Osei before the agreement and disclosed a 40 per cent equity and profit share in NTMEL. A GH¢120 speeding fine therefore distributes GH¢72 to the state and GH¢48 to NTMEL.
IMANI Africa Honorary Vice President Bright Simons said linking the private operator’s returns to fines could create an incentive to maximise penalties rather than ensure fair enforcement.
“Our concern is whether or not the revenue should come from fines, and what that incentive to get more revenue from fines means for the fairness of implementation,” Simons said.
He also raised concerns about mobile cameras in unmarked vehicles and speed guns, alongside the legal basis for a 1 per cent daily surcharge after 14 days and restrictions on DVLA licence and roadworthiness renewals. Current enforcement covers speeding among 40 to 47 listed offences.
Kumasi lawyer Albert Gyamfi said fining registered owners instead of drivers was unlawful. University of Ghana senior lecturer Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato told Channel One TV that private profit could conflict with road safety.
Former Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) public affairs head Fiifi Boafo questioned why government receives 60 per cent when private investors funded the cameras.
“What is the 60% going to government for? Is it to raise money for government?” Boafo asked, saying fine revenue should be used only to maintain the system.
National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) Director of Regulations, Inspections and Compliance Kwame Kodua Attuahene said speeding and inattentive driving account for 58 to 59 per cent of road deaths in Ghana, particularly in the Greater Accra, Ashanti, Western and Central regions.
He said operational data would guide adjustments to the rollout. The NRSA initially limited camera enforcement to roads with visible speed-limit signs while road agencies repair missing signs and faulty traffic lights.
