DVLA CLOSES DOWN DRIVING SCHOOLS IN KUMASI (PAGE 33)

the Technical Directorate of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) on Thursday, June 26, 2008 undertook a special operation to close down a number of driving schools in the Kumasi metropolis and its environs for failing to meet the requisite standards that enhanced efficiency in driving and road safety.
The Technical Officer in charge of Driving Schools of the DVLA, Mr Joseph Amamoo, in collaboration with the Ashanti Regional Directorate carried out the exercise.
According to Mr Amamoo, the affected schools woefully failed to meet the vision of the DVLA, which was always "to ensure world class driving and safety standards through comprehensive, accessible, quick and effective testing of drivers and vehicles".
He said the affected driving schools also failed to meet the required mission of the DVLA, which sought to " provide the most efficient system of examining drivers and licensing vehicles to ensure road safety and an enhanced records system".
Among the driving schools in the Kumasi metropolis which were closed down were the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) driving school, Sefo and Sons driving school, World Wide, Duisbburger, Trinity and Smark driving schools.
The others were Fantow, Corban, Trust Way, Kings Spride and Nec Dii driving schools.
Mr Amamoo expressed concern about the spate of vehicular accidents in recent times which had claimed the lives of many citizens, and attributed most of the accidents to human error.
He said an Act of Parliament in 1999 directed that all driving schools should not only have business registration certificates but should also have at least two dual pedal vehicles that would enhance the training of drivers in their schools.
He said driving schools were also obliged to have spacious classrooms that could contain 30 students, at least two well trained instructors and should also collaborate with the National Vocational Training Institute in their operations to enable them to produce efficient and world class drivers who would put premium on all their activities anytime they were driving.
Mr Amamoo said all the driving schools were also to take their trainees through a number of subjects to enhance their skills and proficiency in all aspects of driving to make travelling more comfortable and enjoyable.
"The DVLA has been monitoring driving schools across the country to ensure that they complied with the Act of Parliament," Mr Amamoo, said and added that while some driving schools strictly adhered to the directives others had totally ignored them.
He said it was to ensure that all driving schools complied with the directives provided under the Act of Parliament that the DVLA decided to renew the license of driving schools that strictly adhered to their principles, and closed down those that had disobeyed.
He said many of the affected driving schools had relocated to smaller structures after their registration, causing massive congestion in their classrooms.
“In most cases, part of their classrooms are being used as storage facilities while others had been used as computer and hair dressing salons. Others also had plastic and sitting room chairs in the classrooms with pulpits, which were contrary to the directives given to them prior to their registration.
Mr Amamoo said in other cases, wooden structures and containers were used as classrooms, while others used unroadworthy vehicles to train driver trainees. Most schools also used untrained instructors whiles the classrooms used for instructions were dusty and untidy.
"Before we renew the licences of the driving schools we have to re-inspect the schools that we registered because we have noticed that many of them have thrown overboard the directives we gave to them. Since the exercise started, we have closed down a number of driving schools in Accra,Tema, Sunyani, Sekondi- Takoradi, Wa and Bolgatanga. Now we are in Kumasi where we have closed down a number of driving schools which failed to meet our criteria, " he stressed.
He said prior to the exercise, the DVLA embarked on educational campaigns to alert the driving schools to what was expected of them, and followed it up with letters, directing them as to what they should do, setting May 30, 2008 as the deadline for which they should comply with all the directives " after which there would be re-inspection".
He said in Accra for example, as many as 23 driving schools which failed to meet the requisite standards were closed down, with 12 in Tema suffering the same fate.
Among the driving schools in Kumasi which met the criteria were the Keesben, Joe Rees, Faith, Star, Cambodia, Ekas and KAJ Royals. Mr Amamoo gave the assurance that the DVLA would follow due process to ensure that only driving schools which met the approved standards would be allowed to operate.
"The bottom line is safety, and in the future, the DVLA would regularly visit the schools to see what they teach the trainee drivers. We would also review the training programmes to ensure that only proficient drivers are issued with driving licences to reduce the spate of accidents, which occur mostly as a result of human errors, " Mr Amamoo stressed.
He said the DVLA would take the exercise very seriously, and that a list of the driving schools which had been closed down would be handed over to the Police Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) to monitor their operations and arrest those which flouted their directives.
"We have posted closure stickers on all the affected driving schools, and any of them which would tamper with them would not be spared," he warned, and gave the assurance that " the DVLA would only re-open the schools after satisfying itself that they had taken measures that which would enhance efficiency in their operations".