CUTS International Accra, a research and public policy think tank, has called on the government to delay the full enforcement of TRAFFITECH-GH, scheduled to begin on October 1, 2026, until traffic infrastructure at enforcement locations has been inspected and repaired.
CUTS said it supports the use of technology to improve compliance with road traffic regulations and reduce road crashes. However, it stressed that a fair enforcement system requires traffic lights that drivers can clearly see, identifiable speed limits and road markings that motorists can follow.
“Government should hold drivers to the law. Government must also make the law clear and visible on the road,” CUTS said. “The purpose of TRAFFITECH-GH is safer roads, not tickets arising from traffic lights drivers could not see.”
According to the think tank, several traffic lights across Accra are obscured by overgrown trees, while others are damaged, displaced or out of service.
It said there are also junctions where one of two traffic lights is functioning while the other is not. Faded lane markings and stop lines, CUTS added, further contribute to uncertainty for road users.
The organisation said such conditions create risks for both motorists and pedestrians even before automated cameras are used to issue traffic violations.
CUTS expressed particular concern about traffic lights on the Nsawam-Accra Road just before the Apenkwa-Achimota overhead bridge and at the Police Training Academy junction in Tesano.
It said the traffic lights at these locations have reportedly shifted out of clear view for approaching drivers, although the TRAFFITECH-GH cameras appear to be correctly positioned.
CUTS urged authorities to inspect both locations from every approaching lane to determine whether motorists have a clear view of the relevant traffic signals.
“A camera’s clear view of a vehicle does not mean the driver has a clear view of the relevant signal or sign,” CUTS said.
The think tank called on the Ghana Police Service and the Department of Urban Road to inspect every TRAFFITECH-GH enforcement location from the driver’s position before automated enforcement begins.
It said the inspection should cover every affected lane and assess visibility during both daytime and nighttime conditions, as well as during rainfall.
Authorities, CUTS said, should also document the condition of traffic signals, road signs, lane markings and stop lines before activating fines at each location.
The organisation further urged the authorities to repair and realign displaced traffic lights, restore failed signal heads, trim vegetation and repaint essential road markings.
It said automated fines for a particular offence should only begin at a location after the road features required for motorists to comply with the relevant rule are functional and clearly visible.
Speed-limit signs
CUTS also raised concerns about the visibility of speed limits at locations where TRAFFITECH-GH speed cameras will operate.
It cited Regulation 211 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which sets general speed limits according to the type and location of a road. Regulation 212 provides additional limits for particular classes of vehicles, while Regulation 213(3) provides for speed cameras and safety signage.
CUTS said these provisions do not eliminate the need to clearly inform drivers about the applicable speed limit on a particular road.
It noted that a driver unfamiliar with an area may not know where a built-up area begins or where a lower speed limit applies, particularly around schools, markets and other locations with heavy pedestrian activity.
The think tank therefore urged authorities to install clear speed-limit signs before every TRAFFITECH-GH speed camera and at points where the applicable speed limit changes.
“Drivers should receive fair warning on the road before an automated system issues a fine for exceeding the limit,” CUTS said.
CUTS maintained that TRAFFITECH-GH should ultimately serve its intended purpose of improving road safety and compliance, but argued that enforcement should be preceded by measures to ensure road infrastructure is clear, functional and visible to motorists.
