A video circulating online appears to show a disagreement between a police officer and a motorist along the Psychiatric Hospital–Kanda Highway over the production of a physical driving licence.
According to the account accompanying the video, the driver declined to hand over his physical licence, arguing that motorists had been advised to provide their licence code instead.
The account further alleges that the disagreement escalated after the officer attempted to take the driver’s car keys.
What Ghana’s Police Service Says About Driving Licences
The Ghana Police Service’s official TraffiTech-GH guidance confirms that motorists are not required to carry their physical driving licence while driving.
The police say drivers can instead remember their licence number or write it on a card and provide the number to an officer when requested.
The TraffiTech-GH system is linked to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) database, allowing officers to verify licence information electronically.
Read the Ghana Police Service’s TraffiTech-GH guidance.
Digital Traffic Enforcement
The development comes as Ghana moves towards greater use of digital traffic enforcement.
Recent reports indicate that the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) is deploying cameras, handheld devices, in-vehicle cameras and other technologies to identify traffic offences.
The new system is intended to reduce the need for officers to conduct manual roadside checks for offences covered by the digital enforcement system.
Was the Officer Wrong?
That question cannot be conclusively answered from the circulating footage alone.
While the Ghana Police Service’s TraffiTech-GH guidance confirms that motorists do not need to carry the physical licence, Ghana’s road-traffic laws also give police officers powers to require the production of driving licences in specified circumstances.
GhanaMedia.net therefore cannot conclude from the video alone that the officer acted unlawfully or that the dispute was caused exclusively by the driver’s refusal to surrender his physical licence.
GhanaMedia Verification
PARTLY VERIFIED — INCIDENT NOT INDEPENDENTLY CONFIRMED.
The official Ghana Police Service guidance confirming that motorists can provide their licence number instead of carrying the physical licence has been independently verified.
However, GhanaMedia.net has not located an independent police statement or credible news report confirming the specific confrontation shown in the circulating video or establishing exactly what led to the dispute.
Until the Ghana Police Service or another authoritative source provides further information, the specific allegations surrounding the encounter should be treated as reported claims rather than established facts.
Sources
- Ghana Police Service — TraffiTech-GH
- Graphic Online — Digital traffic enforcement from September 2026
- Ghana Road Traffic Act
GhanaMedia.net — News That Empowers. Stories That Connect.
