IT IS NOW OFFICIAL: BEGINNING Oct 1, GHANA POLICE WILL USE CAMERAS TO ARREST TRAFFIC OFFENDERS , NOTICES OF VIOLATION TO BE SERVED ON DRIVERS VIA SMS

The programme follows months of pilot operations and the passage of new legislation to provide the legal basis for its implementation. The Police Service, through the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), will use cameras and Personal Data Assistant (PDA) devices to detect traffic offences under the programme. In a press release dated September 15, 2026, issued by the Public Affairs Directorate, the Police Service said the programme formed part of measures to address indiscipline on the country's roads and improve compliance with road traffic laws and regulations. The statement, signed by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Richmond Mensah, said detected offences would be reviewed before Electronic Notices of Violation (ENV) will be issued to vehicle owners or drivers through SMS. Each notice will state the offence committed and the prescribed fine. The Police Service urged motorists, drivers and vehicle owners to comply with road traffic regulations and support the rollout to promote safer roads and reduce crashes and casualties. The announcement on Tuesday formalises a timeline the Service had been working towards for several months. In February, the Police announced plans to roll out TRAFFITECH-GH and said it was working with the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Transport, the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, the National Insurance Commission and the Ministry of Finance to secure the parliamentary amendments required for full implementation. In March, the Director of the MTTD, Alexander Kweku Obeng, said the system had issued about 120,000 caution notices between 2024 and 2025 as a pilot phase. Also in March, the Minister of Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, said the technology would provide an additional layer of automated oversight for traffic enforcement once the supporting legislation had been passed by Parliament. Mr Nikpe said the MTTD had already started issuing SMS cautions to offenders while preparations for the full rollout continued. The system is being operated by the Ghana Police Service in partnership with other agencies, including the National Road Safety Authority, the National Insurance Commission, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission. About 1,000 MTTD personnel have been trained nationwide for the programme. The equipment includes 20 in-vehicle cameras, more than 300 motorcycles, 30 handheld cameras and 200 data assessment devices. The legal basis for the October 1 launch is the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025, and the accompanying Road Traffic Regulations, 2026. two pieces of legislation were the subject of a national sensitisation programme held ahead of the rollout. Test operations were scheduled to begin on September 14, a day before the Police Service issued Tuesday's statement. According to the Police Service's TRAFFITECH-GH guidance, offenders will receive electronic notices detailing the offence, penalty and payment instructions. Fines are to be paid electronically through the Ghana.gov platform within 14 days. Failure to pay could result in the offender being traced by security agencies. The guidance also states that the registered owner of a vehicle remains liable for a traffic violation, regardless of who was driving the vehicle when the offence occurred. A driver who wishes to contest a notice in court is required to lodge the contest online within 14 days of the notice being issued.