The growing menace of rickety vehicles on Ghana’s roads has prompted a renewed effort by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to intensify its compliance and enforcement operations.
Mr. Amos Abaka, Manager of Vehicle Inspection and Regulation at the DVLA, disclosed that the Authority has adopted a strategic approach to remove defective vehicles from circulation, ensuring public safety and upholding roadworthiness standards.
According to Abaka, the issue of poorly maintained vehicles is widely recognized, and the Authority has responded by launching a Compliance and Enforcement Unit.
“Our compliance and enforcement team routinely goes out there, and any vehicle that has defects, we invite you to the office, we revoke your road documents, and you will be compelled to undertake those repairs before the vehicle is left back on the road.
“The compliance and enforcement is a small unit for now, but it’s being upscaled and resourced so that they will expand and be visible across, because that is the only way that we can get involved in the activity and make sure that such vehicles don’t get to the road.”
Mr. Amos Abaka
He explained that although the DVLA issues roadworthy certificates, the actual enforcement of road safety laws falls primarily under the jurisdiction of the police.
However, due to the frequent deterioration of vehicle conditions between inspections—which may occur every six months or annually—DVLA has stepped up its role in direct enforcement through the newly established unit.
DVLA’s New Road Strategy Involves Private Garages
To address the persistence of rickety vehicles that somehow manage to secure roadworthy stickers, the DVLA has also turned to the private sector.
Partnerships with private garage owners have been established to expand inspection capacity and ensure that vehicles are thoroughly examined before receiving approval for road use.
Furthermore, he noted that these private garages are now under scrutiny themselves.
“In fact, there is a program to log on to their system, merge, so that we can see in real time what they do, which is ongoing. When that project is completed, then we’ll be able to ask the garage… if the vehicles went there or they didn’t go there.”
Mr. Amos Abaka
This new layer of digital accountability is expected to plug existing loopholes that have allowed unfit vehicles to remain on Ghanaian roads under the guise of legitimacy.
Fitness Goes Beyond Roadworthy Sticker
Mr. Amos Abaka further emphasized that possessing a valid roadworthy certificate is not, in itself, sufficient proof that a vehicle is roadworthy.
He stressed that, in accordance with DVLA’s regulations, a vehicle must be “fit and proper” at all times. This means it must continue to meet safety standards well after its inspection date.
He outlined several key areas of inspection that determine whether a vehicle qualifies as fit for the road.
These include minimum secure and undamaged seats, proper windscreen condition, and a covered engine compartment.
“For a vehicle to be fit, the tires must be good with at least a minimum of three millimeters of tread depth. Indeed, the body must not be exposed. The seats must not be exposed.”
Mr. Amos Abaka
These inspections are part of a broader strategy aimed at promoting a culture of road safety and minimizing accidents linked to vehicle defects.
The current crackdown is also a signal that authorities will no longer overlook the widespread problem of rickety vehicles, which continue to undermine road safety and endanger lives.
Abaka concluded that collaboration between the DVLA, the police, and the public will be vital in ensuring that only roadworthy vehicles remain in operation.
Through a mix of technology, enforcement, and stricter regulation of private inspection facilities, the Authority hopes to restore public confidence in road safety measures.
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