Speed Cameras Won�t Work In Ghana

The executive director of the Akwaaba Foundation, Joseph Boakye Yiadom, has discouraged calls to introduce speed cameras in the country as a move to curb indiscipline on the country�s roads. Ghana is grappling with issues of motor crashes in recent times as a result of gross disregard for traffic laws on the roads and has resulted in hundreds of people losing their lives over the last few years. Several suggestions have come up on how to mitigate the spate of road crashes that have hit the country including the need to introduce speed cameras, guns and breathalyzers, but it appears stakeholders in the road safety sector are yet to agree on what is best for the country. The head of the road safety advocacy group, Mr Yiadom said on Citi FM�s Breakfast Show on Tuesday that speed cameras are not the way to go now if Ghana really means business to nib the existing road menace in the bud, but a lot more of funds have to be invested in the police. �It is impossible to implement speed cameras within the shortest possible time,� he insisted. �We need to have an independent police service provided with the basic enforcement equipment. So instead of going for the speed cameras now I think it�s better to equip the police MTTU. � He said the speed cameras when installed may be doing their job alright, but the status quo makes it impossible to track down the culprits. �Even identifying the vehicle after the camera has captured it is a problem and it is impossible, that is why some police men jump on vehicles that have broken traffic rules because when the vehicle goes away it is difficult to find that vehicle. �So it is better we adopt the basic traffic enforcement rules than go for the extreme. Speed cameras are implemented in advance countries, we in Ghana cannot implement speed cameras within the shortest possible time,� Yiadom stated. However, the deputy director of research, monitoring and evaluation at the National Road Safety Commission, Rudolph Beckley, feels otherwise and was of the view that all is set to launch the project, but has been stifle because there is no regulation for its smooth implementation. �A lot has been done for the implementation of the speed camera project,� Beckley noted. �As soon as the legislation is passed the speed camera project would be a reality. We�ve gone through the modalities. � �Even a committee has been set to look at the technical issues that will surround the operations of the speed camera. We�re only waiting for the passage of the regulation,� he added.