NEW OFFICE FOR DVLA

By Christabel Akoto-Manu                                     

The Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) last year recorded 12,981 fatal traffic accidents which resulted in 2,125 deaths and 16,133 injuries.

From January to March this year, the authority has already recorded 567 deaths through road accidents and the country has lost an amount of 288 million U S dollars.

The Chairman of the DVLA board, Mr. David Adom disclosed this at the commissioning of the authority’s new Head Office in Accra, on Friday.

He said road safety is the responsibility of a multiplicity of government institution and agencies including the DVLA as  well as the various road users.

Mr. Adom admitted that the institution had challenges which needed to be addressed for improved service delivery and reverse the negative public perception.

The current board, he noted, will completely re-organize and reform the authority for positive work to achieve the objective for which it was established.

“To take the reforms further ,the authority is putting in place a strategic plan, spanning from this year to  2015 to replace the existing plan “he mentioned  .

The Minister of Transportation, Mr. Collins Dauda said that transportation is the heartbeat of any economy as business, industry and commerce depend on it for growth, expansion and development.

He said road transport provides access to health, education and socio-economic opportunities and it is for this reason that transport is said to be the sine qua non for the socio-economic and political development of a nation.

Transport, as a source of death and injury, is substantial within the road transport, according to him.

As an agency, he noted, the authority’s output to a large extent could contribute both to positive and negative aspects of road transport.

He said the authority should not underestimate its role and contribution to casualty reduction in order to ensure that the national vision to reducing the fatality rate to single digit is attainable.

He also called   on the authority to study the United Nation’s (UN) document critically and introduce measures recommended to all countries by the UN on Driver Licensing and Vehicle safety including the maintenance of standards and occupant protection 

The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Mr. Justice Yaw Amagashie said one of the challenges that face many public agencies is the security of their immovable properties to prevent encroachment of properties of government by private developers.

He said the staff of any organization is the resource which would provide the skills, knowledge and expertise in the realization of its vision, mission statement and mandate.

Mr. Amagashie said that the authority has introduced electronic receipting at offices where on-site banks do not operate, thereby reducing waiting time to served.

The authority, he said, had also embarked on renovation and rehabilitation of offices on its premises to provide congenial environment and atmosphere.

He said the authority through the board is to introduce Computer Adaptive Testing to replace the manual theory test.