In a major policy shake‑up that threatens to upend decades of roadblock routine, the Inspector General of Police Christian Tetteh Yohuno has abruptly halted the longstanding practice of Motor Traffic and Transport Department officers confiscating motorists’ physical driver licences during traffic stops. The move is being hailed by many as a decisive strike against corruption and years of roadside harassment.
Under the new directive announced this week, traffic cops will no longer demand drivers hand over the hard copy of their licences whenever they are pulled over. Instead, all that will be required is that motorists provide their licence number, which officers can instantly verify through a digital system linked to an electronic database. Authorities say the overhaul could eliminate expensive delays, pointless paperwork, and much of the petty bribery that has plagued routine licence checks.
The Inspector General’s initiative, part of a broader reform strategy that seeks to reduce direct contact between motorists and officers, is expected to transform how traffic enforcement works on Ghana’s roads. Police leadership has explicitly warned officers that taking bribes and wasting motorists’ time will no longer be tolerated and that merit‑based promotions will replace outdated incentives that once fuelled graft.
The policy shift comes amid persistent complaints about traffic officers seizing licences and then demanding unofficial payments before returning them, a practice that has tarnished the image of the service and sparked public outrage. Officials are now betting on technology and an electronic verification platform to wipe out these abuses and restore confidence in road enforcement.
If the plan is fully rolled out across the country, drivers could soon find themselves free from the anxiety of handing over personal documents at checkpoints, marking what many see as one of the most significant reforms in traffic policing in recent years.
