Côte d’Ivoire facing the challenge of video-verbalization

Published on : 11/10/2021 – 14:28Modified : 11/10/2021 – 2:30 PM

“I feel a little safer on my gbaka ride these days,” says Aissata, just getting off the bus at her usual stop. The young executive assistant uses this informal mode of transport every morning to get to her workplace.

What has changed over the past two months in Côte d’Ivoire is the presence of radars and video surveillance cameras on the main roads of Abidjan, such as Boulevard Valéry-Giscard-d’Estaing, which travels daily.

“There are so many stupid accidents on the roads in Abidjan,” she adds. “But I have the impression that the fear of being fined forces drivers to behave better, to be more disciplined.”

On average, Côte d’Ivoire records more than 6,500 accidents each year, causing more than 700 deaths and 13,000 injuries. According to official statistics, 94% of traffic accidents are due to drivers or users and 6% are attributable to the poor condition of vehicles and the road network.

It is in view of this observation that the Ivorian government launched, last September, an intelligent surveillance system in the metropolis, with video-verbalization as a flagship measure.

A decrease in accidents in Abidjan

After three weeks of awareness campaign on respect for the highway code, the Ministry of Transport estimated that repression could begin on September 7 in the economic capital, affected by 40% of accidents occurring throughout Ivorian territory.

In total, 140 radars have been installed in the economic capital. But the so-called intelligent device goes further: motorists flashed for speeding receive a notification of their ticketing by SMS and have the possibility of consulting their ticket online.

According to Souleymane Coulibaly, head of operations at the Integrated Management and Mobility Center (CGIM), the system put in place is simple and efficient. “Our agents who are there receive images and ensure the quality of the images processed. We have a qualification stage, we ensure that all the information that comes out of the database conforms to the image that we have it on the video. Then we pass all the information on to the police, “he explains.

The Ministry of Transport welcomes the initial results of the campaign. He announces that the number of accidents in Abidjan has fallen by at least 30%.

On the roads, drivers tend to confirm the official record. Ibrahim, a motorist in his forties, admits to being more careful since the speed cameras were installed in the city. “The traffic is quieter and more fluid. It is true that I sometimes want to drive faster out of habit, but I am careful to avoid being flashed. And I’m not the only one … “

Regularization of plaques

However, complaints of erroneous verbalizations have been increasing on online forums for the past month. In a post posted on Facebook, a motorist named Wesse Dable shares his experience: he was fined for speeding in Abidjan, while his vehicle has been in maintenance since April 2021 in San Pedro, a city located more than 500 miles away. kilometers.

After complaint, his ticket was canceled. The agent in charge of his file specifies that the radar worked well, but that the registered plate was defective and that the person responsible for the offense was identified. On social networks, testimonials like this are legion.

This is precisely what justifies the repression by video surveillance, believes the Minister of Transport. “When we started the repression, Abidjan was emptied. It means that there are many people who are not in good standing”, notes Amadou Koné, who recalls that the system put in place aims above all to dissuade illegal and irregular behavior. “This campaign of repression is precisely there for people to come to terms with.”

This is a point of view shared by Éric Yedoh, the president of the Association of vehicle sellers of Côte d’Ivoire. For several weeks now, informal dealers have frequently been fined for offenses committed by buyers who have not changed their license plate.

One more reason to put in place new rules and structure sales, concludes this owner of a vehicle fleet located near the Abidjan airport. “When you come to pick up a car from us now, we take care to transfer the transfer within 72 hours so that we don’t get fined afterwards… and pay fines for nothing. It’ll make everyone right, fair. “