Upper West bags 56,465.51 Ghana Cedis

Wa, Nov. 30, GNA - The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in the Upper West Region bagged 56,465.51 Ghana Cedis as revenue for government in 2007. It also contributed 42,099.01 Ghana Cedis in 2006 as revenue to government and could perform better with the provision of adequate logistics and resources.

Dr Richard Anane, Minister of Transportation, announced this in a speech read on his behalf at the inauguration of a 43,000 Ghana Cedis Office complex for the DVLA in Wa recently. He said the need to provide adequate and decent office accommodation space for the staff of the Authority in the Region had become urgent and compelling because of the need to render quality and prompt service to increasing number of clients. "The provision of regional offices and its facilities are very crucial to the enhancement of road safety in the Region", Dr Anane emphasised.

He said since it was the responsibility of the Authority to promote good driving standards in the country and to ensure the use of road worthy vehicles on the roads and in other public places, it was important that the Authority was adequately resourced to undertake its statutory services efficiently and effectively. He urged the Authority to adhere to the laid down procedures of service to ensure the achievement of specific service standard. "The effectiveness of your operations will no doubt have a direct impact on the efficiency of road transportation and the incidence of road accidents in the country", Dr Anane advised. He said the competency of drivers and the conditions of vehicles were important factors, which helped to determine the efficiency of road transport services in the Region in particular and the country as a whole.

Dr Anane called on stakeholders in the road transport industry to promote the practice of road safety to reduce the present fatality rate of 21.3 persons per 10,000 of the population to the targeted level of a single digit by 2015. He commended the Authority for signing the citizen's Charter under which government agencies undertook to render quality services to its clients within a specific time frame. The Authority has also established an on-site banking service for its clients that dealt with it as well as introducing a one-stop-shop drivers licence issuance to promote good driving standards. He said because of the large size of the Region and with only one office in the Region, many vehicles were not inspected and suggested the establishment of an office in one of the districts with a high vehicular population in the Region to complement the regional set up. 30 Nov. 08