The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has stated that it will not suspend the fitting of seatbelts in commercial vehicles and the computer-based theory test of drivers as demanded by some aggrieved commercial drivers.
At a press conference in Accra yesterday, the Executive Director of the DVLA, Mr Rudolph Beckley, said the use of seat belts in commercial vehicles and the testing of drivers were meant to reduce the rate of accidents and associated deaths and injuries on the roads.
He said the DVLA would go ahead to enforce all the provisions in the Road Traffic Regulations L.I. 2180, 2012, which included the use of seatbelts by commercial vehicles and the 48-hour compulsory training with driving institutions.
The press conference was in response to a strike action embarked upon by some commercial drivers against certain aspects of the Road Traffic Regulations on Monday.The strike left commuters stranded in various parts of the country.
The drivers were against the requirements for commercial drivers to install seatbelts in their vehicles in order to qualify the vehicles for registration.
Besides, they said they did not understand why they should be forced to use biometric roadworthy stickers and renew their registration numbers every quarter.
The regulations are expected to take effect from the first week of December this year.
Computerised testing
Mr Beckley said every driver was supposed to pass the computer-based theory test before he could be issued with a driver licence, saying that “the objective of the test is to ensure best practices which guarantee safety”.
He said all new drivers were required to acquire at least 48 hours training at a registered driver training school before appearing for the test.
Mr Beckley said the DVLA would be introducing an audio equipment that could dictate the questions in major Ghanaian languages and provide the answers in those languages for the candidates to only select by a touch of a computer screen.
“The DVLA, as part of processes for streamlining the examination process in future, in line with concerns of transport unions, will be introducing a touch screen facility that would also help translate the questions into any of these five languages (Ga, Ewe, Twi, Hausa and English) to help the applicants to answer questions. The facility is currently undergoing a test run,” he said.
The DVLA chief executive said the DVLA had engaged a Spanish company to design the seatbelts according to the specification of the authority.
Thereafter, he said, 185 artisans in various parts of the country were trained on the fitting of seatbelts.
Mr Beckley said the new electronic roadworthy sticker, unlike the previous one, was machine readable .
MMTD/NRSC
The Director in charge of Education, Research and Training of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, DSP Alexander Kweku Obeng, said the MMTD had so far impounded 314 vehicles for using fake e-roadworthy stickers in various parts of the country.
He said all of the 314 owners of the vehicles were convicted and made to pay a fine totalling GH¢119,072.
The Executive Director of the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), Mrs May Obiri-Yeboah, urged drivers to comply with the provisions of the regulations on seatbelts and testing since they were meant to save lives.
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