President John Dramani Mahama says the newly activated Traffic Technology (TraffiTech-GH) system is a life-saving intervention aimed at curbing the alarming rate of road accidents, particularly those caused by speeding.
Addressing the Presidential Press Corps at the Jubilee House yesterday, the President said it was alarming that approximately 2,151 Ghanaians lost their lives in road accidents last year alone.
He said those figures represented more than statistics, and that they were the husbands, children, mothers and sisters of the nation.
"Of that number, 474 Ghanaians were killed in what we call pedestrian knockdowns," President Mahama said.
The President added that "a good number of them were schoolchildren coming from school, getting knocked down by a car because somebody is doing 80 kilometres per hour, 100 kilometres per hour. If a child steps on the road, you can't stop".
President Mahama explained that the enforcement of the general speed limit in urban centers, capped at 50 kilometres per hour, was critical.
He stressed that at that speed, drivers could stop in time to prevent accidents.
The new measures, which began on November 1, are currently focused solely on speeding.
President Mahama dismissed concerns that the system was a revenue-generation tool, explaining that the "speeding model" was currently the only one activated.
He outlined a phased approach for the technology, noting that modules for crossing red lights and illegal parking had not yet been activated, but would be introduced in subsequent years.
He also clarified that the enforcement by the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) had no connection with the ongoing clearance of bus stops or issues with bus operators.
Speed limit
Sharing an anecdote to illustrate the impact of the enforcement, the President said the system had forced drivers to pay attention to their speedometers, some for the first time.
“Somebody was telling me that until this TraffiTech came, he had never looked at his speedometer. Now his eyes keep going between his speedometer and the road to make sure he doesn't go above 50 (kilometres per hour),” he said.
President Mahama urged the public to bear with the inconvenience, assuring them that a month-to-month comparison with last year would reveal a significant reduction in accidents.
