No Licence For Illiterate Drivers

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is to phase out licencing illiterate drivers by the year 2013.

This will be preceded by a standard model and comprehensive curriculum for driving schools by the end of 2009.

This came to light at the inauguration of the new executives for Ghana Drive, the umbrella association of driving schools in Accra.

According to available data from the DVLA, the National Road Safety Commission and other allied agencies, more than 90 percent of all road traffic accidents are caused by human error.

The records also pointed to the little knowledge about road safety signs and measures.

A director at the DVLA, Cheyuo Wienaa Musah believes that being able to read and understand road signs are a key component of reducing accidents, commending the association of driving schools for their role in driver education.

He disclosed that out of a total of 83 certified driving schools in the country, only a few are based in the northern sector.

Chairman of the National Road Safety Commission, Johnson Cliff Aboagye said public apathy is a serious threat to road safety campaigns.

The Deputy Minister for Transport, Magnus Opare, urged the public to support measures instituted by the DVLA.

Inaugurating the newly elected executives of Ghana Drive, the deputy MTTU Commander, Superintendent Debora Addison Campbell, reiterated the need to use seat belts to reduce fatalities.

The new Ghana Drive executive is under the chairmanship of the Reverend Erasmus Amankwa Addo.

The outgoing chairman, Cecil Garbrah, appealed to Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the Road Safety Bill.

Business Desk Report