THE Kontihene of the New Juaben Traditional Area, Baffour Nyantakyi Tutu Boateng, has urged the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to set up medical units within its vehicle testing facilities to enable medical professionals to assess the health and fitness of drivers.
The units, he said, should be manned by well-trained health professionals who would determine whether a driver was fit to be issued with a Driver’s Licence or not.
The move, he suggested, would significantly go a long way to reduce road accidents and ensure public safety on the roads in the country.
Speaking at the inauguration of a new automated office building of the DVLA in Koforidua, Baffour Boateng, said it was important to check their medical conditions because some drivers were plagued with conditions that did not make them fit to drive.
“For instance, should a driver suffer an epileptic attack while behind the steering wheel, this can cause a serious accident”, he said, adding that “in addition to eye test that drivers undergo before Driver’s Licences are issued, health professionals should also have a say in whether a driver deserves a license or not.”
The edifice is meant to bring vehicle registration and driver licensing services of the authority to the doorsteps of motorists in the Eastern Region.
The Kontihene stated that the construction of the new Koforidua office was a clear demonstration of the DVLA to enter into a new era in effective and efficient driver licensing operations in the Eastern Region.
That, he said, would ensure better life for all, particularly the most vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Though best known for collecting vehicle excise duty and issuing of Driver’s Licence, he said the time had come for the DVLA to play a more proactive role in encouraging motorists to drive more responsibly to protect vulnerable road users.
He said impacting the right education to help drivers acquire appropriate skills, knowledge and attitude would enable them to be more responsible on the roads to avoid accidents and protect other road users.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Mr Kwesi Agyeman Busia, said the inauguration of the new Koforidua office formed part of the new improvements and innovation that had been introduced by the authority in recent times.
He expressed the readiness of the authority to initiate various innovative measures to ease issuance of licences and registration of vehicles.
“We are looking at the infusion of technology for speed and convenience in our tertiary drive project, making it simple and easy for tertiary students to get Driver’s Licences before they graduate from school.
“Additionally, the introduction of a voice over in our computer-based tests is targeted for implementation in September. The voice over in six local languages, Ga, Akan, Ewe, Dagbani, Hausa and Nzema, will make it easier for those without formal education to fully comprehend the computer-based test questions,” he stated.
In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, commended the management and board of the DVLA for initiating innovative reforms that had injected efficiency and reliability in the service delivery of the authority.
FROM AMA TEKYIWAA AMPADU AGYEMAN, KOFORIDUA
