Academic Warns Profit Motive Could Clash With TraffiTech Safety Goals

A University of Ghana academic has raised concerns that the commercial interests of the private company working on the TraffiTech initiative could work against the government's aim of making Ghana's roads safer.

Dr Joshua Jebuntie Zaato, a Senior Lecturer at the university, made the comments during an appearance on The Big Issue on Channel One TV, as first reported by Citi News.

According to Dr Zaato, the firm's pursuit of profit could shape the way the system is run. He pointed in particular to the fines that motorists would face under the scheme.

He explained that the government's main goal for TraffiTech is to improve safety on the roads by controlling speeding. A private operator, however, might be driven by a different priority, he argued, and could look to raise fines in order to boost its earnings.

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"Herein lies the real or the potential clash between their profit motive and the government's social service or public safety or security motives," Dr Zaato said.

He added: "The private sector may, in an attempt to maximise their profits, quickly make sure that they rather increase the fines."

Dr Zaato's remarks highlight a possible tension between the public safety purpose of the initiative and the business interests of the company involved in delivering it.

The report did not name the private company, nor did it include a response from the firm or from government officials to the lecturer's concerns.