MTTD Cites Insurance, Ownership Records Among TraffiTech Complaints

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has identified vehicle ownership, insurance records and trade-licence arrangements as some of the issues prompting motorists to contest electronic notices of violation during the system’s initial implementation.

ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD indicated that “fewer than 100 people have formally challenged the tickets despite thousands of notices being issued to vehicle owners.”

He described the number of complaints for the first week of the rollout as “relatively low at this early stage.”

“We knew some of these issues because of the data issue and also the problem of non-compliance with the transfer of vehicle ownership. The law says that if you sell your vehicle, you and the prospective owner are required to hand over the vehicle and go through the process of having your name removed from the vehicle registration” ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng.

Furthermore, the Director of Education explained that some motorists contest the notices because they no longer own the vehicles captured by the cameras. However, he identified failure to complete the statutory transfer process after a sale as a significant source of the problem.

ACP Obeng outlined that vehicle sellers and prospective buyers are required to visit the appropriate registration office to have the previous owner’s name removed and the new owner’s details entered into the records. He observed that many motorists neglect this obligation, leaving the former owner’s information attached to a vehicle that has already changed hands.

In addition, the MTTD has encountered complaints involving insurance brokers whose telephone numbers appear in motor insurance records instead of those of the actual vehicle owners.

The Director explained that some brokers enter their own contact details when “arranging periodic insurance renewals for clients” meaning electronic notices may reach the brokers when the vehicles incur speeding violations.

Another category involves trade-licence number plates, which are legally issued to registered trade-licence holders. ACP Obeng clarified that when a dealer rents out such plates, the electronic notice goes to the licence holder whose details appear in the database, even if another person was using the vehicle when the offence occurred.

He cautioned that dealers who rent out their plates must recognise the implications of having their information attached to the registration records. Some holders, he noted, may have arrangements allowing other people to use the plates for extended periods, creating disputes when enforcement notices are subsequently issued.

Nevertheless, ACP Obeng indicated that the MTTD is working to resolve the complaints and improve the accuracy of the information used by the system.

He also pointed to ongoing changes in vehicle registration and transport-related administrative processes as measures intended to strengthen the state’s ability to identify vehicle owners accurately.

As the rollout of TraffiTech-GH gathers momentum, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) has identified speeding as the principal traffic offence targeted by the digital enforcement system.

The decision reflects the department’s concern about the role of excessive and inappropriate speed in road fatalities and serious injuries in Ghana.

ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng, Director of Education, Research and Training at the MTTD, explained that the decision to prioritise speeding was informed by an analysis of national road crash records dating back to 1991.

“If 100 people are dead, when we go and investigate, we always realise, based on the impact and our investigation, that almost about 60 out of 100, sometimes 59, but 60 on average, die or sustain serious injuries as a result of drivers who are engaging in excessive speeding above the limit or inappropriate speed” ACP Alexander Kwaku Obeng.