Roads and Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah
The Minister of Transport, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, has urged passengers on board of vehicles not to entertain the excesses of any bad driver while on the road, but rather, speak up against such drivers whose misbehaviour threatens lives and property.
He also cautioned passengers to be of good behaviour by refraining from pushing drivers to misbehave on the road, especially using language on them.
Mr. Ofori Asiamah made call at the commissioning of a new DVLA office at Kunka, Obuasi, in the Ashanti Region on Friday.
This brings to two new DVLA district offices commissioned in 2022, with the first being in the Volta Region.
He urged drivers to be disciplined while on the road, and respect the views of their passengers.
Respect for each other, he noted, will contribute a great deal towards ensuring safety on the road.
“As a driver, be patient, obey speed limits, don’t drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs, don’t drive tired, don’t overtake wrongly and respect other road users. As a passenger, speak up against driver misbehaviour, don’t push drivers to misbehave on the roads and don’t use abusive language. I believe if we all respect the rules of the road and be each other’s keeper, we would get to our destinations safely,” he noted.
He said government will continue to pursue reforms that will minimise carnage on the roads, saying ongoing efforts in that regard include a process to review the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2180 to keep up with the changing trends in the road transport industry and also address some implementation lapses.
He directed the DVLA and the National Road Safety Authority to work closely with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service in the automation of traffic enforcement.
Collaboration
Mr Ofori Asiamah emphasised the need for DVLA to collaborate more closely with the National Road Safety Authority and the MTTD to intensify enforcement activities and scale up road safety education and awareness programmes.
“For us to achieve safety on our roads, it requires all actors, regulators, enforcement agencies, service providers, drivers and pedestrians alike to play their respective roles,” he said.
Commenting on the new Obuasi DVLA Office, the minister said the edifice is yet another success story which demonstrates the commitment of the DVLA to deliver excellent services to the general public in a more conducive environment.
“This marks the beginning of a new era of modernisation of all DVLA regional offices,” he said, urging the people to take advantage of the new edifice and its related services to create job opportunities, especially for the youth.
According to him, the DVLA has over the past few years made remarkable improvements in its service delivery.
“It has moved from an institution with low penetration of ICT to one that is currently noted for its drastic digital transformation. Customers no longer have to endure long queues and delays but one of quick service turnaround time and improved customer experience,” he added.
He, therefore, encouraged the DVLA to explore cashless payment systems in order to actualise the full benefits of the digital transformation.
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