DVLA’s poor inspections fuel road tragedies – Kosi Dedey

Engineer and policy analyst Kosi Dedey has attributed the surge in road accidents in Ghana to inadequate driver training and weak vehicle inspection systems at the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show, Mr. Dedey acknowledged that poor road infrastructure contributes to crashes but maintained that better-trained drivers could significantly reduce the risks.

“I agree there are infrastructural problems with our roads, which I do not disagree with, but the point is that when you are a trained driver and the roads are not marked, you should know your response,” he said, adding “We do not train our drivers well in hazard perception. The infrastructure may be bad, but if the driver is well-trained, he will be able to deal with hazards on the road.”

Mr. Dedey accused the DVLA of failing in its mandate, alleging that some officials engage in misconduct when issuing driver’s licences. “There are bad people in the system, conducting themselves badly even in issuing a driver’s licence. We need to get to the heart of this matter,” he stressed.

On vehicle inspections, he noted that many vehicles in poor condition still operate on the roads and some display inspection stickers without undergoing proper checks.

“We can trace their stickers and find out whether those vehicles went to the DVLA for inspection, and you will realise that no, they were not. These are the problems DVLA must focus on dealing with when it comes to road safety,” he added.

Source: channelonenewsonline