The Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate (MTTD) is an agency under the Ghana Police Service. MTTD is responsible for road safety in Ghana. The MTTD was established in 1952 MTTD was known as the Ghana Police Traffic Unit. In 1981, the Justice Archer commission, reviewed the MTTD’s function and accredited it as the National MTTD.

The MTTD’s head reports to the Inspector General of Police (IGP). The current head of the MTTD is Deputy Commissioner of Police Mr. Maxwel Atingane.

The MTTD educates road users on accident-free road practices by training motorists and pedestrians.

The member of the MTTD are trained to spot, warn and arrest offending motorists, record all accidents and publishes the statistics on a quarterly basis in print and electronic media.

Personnel of the MTTD control traffic and enforce traffic regulations. The department is in-charge of escort for the President of Ghana, state and foreign dignitaries. In the investigation of road accidents, the MTTD initiates the investigation and later hands it over to the DVLA.

The Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate is one of the most important sectors of the Ghana police service. It serves the alienable purpose in road safety in the country.

Structure of the Directorate

The MTTD is organised in 11 units. One in each of the eleven Police regions of Ghana. Three are also divisional and district MTTU and accidents squads. It is headed by a director general who is also a Police Management Board Member (POMAB) stations at the police headquarters.

The regional, divisions’ districts and accidents squads are administratively under the command of the Regional Divisional and Districts Commanders.

The personnel of the department are almost always the first police man to be seen in in any part of the country. His action or inaction commissions or omission could create either appositive or negative image of the service for the entire service in Ghana. Everything possible is therefore needed to give him the necessary motivation to live up to expectation.

The Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), was established in March 2013 following the enactment of the Police Service Regulation 2012 (C.I 76).

Its mandate is to formulate policies regarding the effective and efficient performance of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department in line with general service goals as well as conduct research into emerging challenges in traffic enforcement and road safety sector.

The directorate also undertakes training and sensitization programmes for personnel and members of the general public.

MTTU Units

The other units of the Department are organised in all the eleven (11) Police Regions in Ghana in accordance with Police Service Organogram. There are Regional, Divisional and District MTTUs commanded by senior police officers. In some of the police stations, there are accidents cases reported within their various jurisdictions.

• Functions of the MTTU

Functions of MTTU and MTTD are to educate road users on accident-free road practices by training motorists and pedestrians. The members of the MTTD are trained to spot, warn and arrest offending motorists. The MTTD records all accidents and publishes the statistics on a quarterly basis in print and electronic media. Personnel of the MTTD control traffic and enforce traffic regulations. The MTTD is in-charge of escort for the President of Ghana, state and foreign dignitaries. In the investigation of road accidents, the MTTD initiates the investigation and later hands it over to the DVLA.

The functions of the MTTU are varied but include the following:

• Traffic control and management
• Enforcement of all road traffic laws and regulations
• Investigation on road traffic accident crash cases reported
• Processing and prosecution of traffic offenders
• Provision of presidential route security
• Presidential and protocol escort for VIPS and state dignitaries
• Collaboration with road safety stakeholders ( NRSC, DVLA, NAS, GNFS)

Mandate:

The mandate of the MTTD is to formulate policies regarding the effective and sufficient performance of the MTTD departments in line with general services goals.

The department is also tasked with administrative and operational steps for the implementations of major policies, decisions and directive towards enhancing efficiency in the service.

The department as part of its responsibilities conducts research into emerging challenges in the traffic enforcement and road safety sector.

The MTTD was established to develop appropriate training intervention to bridge need gab of relevant stake holders.

The department is also task to develop public education and sensitization programmes to be rolled out across the country.

Periodically provide Director General/Services and Director General/Technical with information on procurement of relevant logistics for the department Vehicle Authority (DVLA) at the Police Headquarters Cafeteria Complex Conference Hall.

Collaborated with DVLA to train MTTU personnel nationwide on the implementation of Electronic Roadworthiness from 12th-22nd October, 2014.

Successful traffic management strategies for the Akwasidae festival in Kumasi.

Successful traffic management strategies for the Ghana Police Service Annual Ball Eventon 27/12/14.

The general motoring public as well as pedestrians within the Accra and beyond were adequately sensitized with regards to discipline, good ethics of road usage and safety on our roads in line with the road traffic regulations. This was done alongside pragmatic enforcement strategies carried out during the year under review. Both print and electronic media establishments facilitated our sensitization activities.

Objective of the MTTU’s

• To prevent and detect motor crimes and offences
• To prevent loss of lives and damage to property on Ghana`s roads
• To ensure free flow of motor traffic
• To arrest and prosecute motor traffic offenders

Accident Statistics

Road accidents are a very important national issue. Statistics show that road accidents kill an average of four people a day in Ghana. In 2005, there was 16% increase in road accidents as compared to the preceding year.[4] Between 2007 and 2010 the MTTD reported that at least 6000 people had died due to road accidents with an additional 40000 injured within the same interval.

Road Offenders

From January to May 2011, the MTTD convicted about 1800 road users for various road offenses with fines totally 400,000 cedi (approximately 260,000 dollars) being charged. Offenders found guilty of grave road offenses, within the period where jailed.

Activities

The following Training activities were undertaken during the year 2016

1. Two hundred and forty five (245) National Service personnel trained under the second phase of the Urban Traffic Management module in Accra and Kumasi.
2. In partnership with Bloomberg and Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), a total of one hundred and twenty (120) personnel were trained on global best practices in traffic policing, data led enforcement in traffic policing, the importance of evidence based enforcement arising from data and using it to plan and strategize for enforcement activities, among others.
3. In conjunction with the National Road Safety Commission, a number of schools, churches and mosques benefited from education on safe use of the road.
4. For effective enforcement of road regulations and to ensure safety on our roads, the MTTD/DVLA Task Force was activated and operated from June – October, 2016. Among the common vehicle infractions found by the team were: the use of rickety vehicles, use of motor vehicle with shattered windscreen, driving without driving license, use of fake driver’s license, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to validate driver’s license, worn-out tyres, among others.
5. ii) RED LIGHT OPERATIONS: To ensure sanity on our roads in the city of Accra and to curb driver’s indiscipline, a team named Red Light Operations was formed and operated from May-December 2016.

Spot Fines Project: to take off as soon as the project implementer having signed contract with the Government is in the final stage of establishing offices and installing equipment.

The road traffic and regulation 2012 LI 2180 contains road traffic offences.  It talks about procedures for registrations of vehicles motors and agricultural machines.

The unit work in hand with vehicle license DVLA on advocacy.

• National road safety commission
• Emergency services was/Ghana National Fire Service

The MTTD has 1500 personnel nationwide. These personnel are trained by the various Ghana Police Service training academies and posted to all the district police stations to work hand in hand with the police personnel in ensuring road safety in the area.

Challenges

The MTTD in the pursuit of its functions faces challenges that limit its functions. They include:

• Inadequate law enforcement equipment such as breathalyser
• Limited towing and recovering trucks for broken down vehicles
• Collaborating Agencies

The MTTD in the pursuit of its functions works with other agencies of state to reduce road accidents. They include:

• National Road Safety Commission (NRSC)
• Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)
• Ghana Police Service
• Accident prevention

The Motor Transport and Traffic Directorate promote road safety through a structured programme it employs named the four ‘Es’. They are:

• Enactment of laws and traffic regulations to govern road use in Ghana
• Education for road users
• Engineering the construction of feeder and urban roads, Zebra crossing and road signs
• Emergency medical services for accident victims.