DVLA reiterates essence of banning illiterates from driving

Koforidua, Jan. 18, GNA - The Driver and Licensing Authority (DVLA), has reiterated that for the safety of road users, people who cannot read and write must not be issued with driving licenses.

Mr Vincent Fiati, Eastern Regional Director of the DVLA, said illiterates could not read road traffic regulations, which includes road signs thereby exposing passengers and other road users to danger.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua he said the high rate of motor accidents that claimed lives and property could be attributed to ignorance of road signs and other traffic directives. He noted that it would however be unfair to redraw the licenses of people who had already secure the documents, because they cannot read and write, saying it would amount to depriving them of their livelihood. He said conscious efforts were being made by the DVLA, to ensure that the numbers of illiterate drivers were not increased in the system.

Mr Fiati said most people who applied for driving licenses failed because they do not understand road signs and other road related issues. A total of 1,329 vehicles were registered last year in the region including 1,022 petrol, 303 diesel and four gas vehicles. He said drink-driving, over speeding, wrong overtaking and reluctance to adhere to road traffic signs were some of the major factors that led to road accidents.

Mr Fiati said his outfit would embark on an extensive road safety campaign in the region this year, in collaboration with the National Road Safety Commission and the Motor Traffic Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service. This he said, would ensure a holistic approach to end the carnage in the region designated as one of the major accident prone areas in the country. Mr Fiati said the MTTU and the DVLA would embark on an exercise to prohibit the use of jalopies on the road. He advised drivers and vehicles owners to cultivate the culture of regular maintenance to help prevent motor accidents.