The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has embarked on roadworthy compliance and proper documentation exercise in greater Tamale in the northern region.
The exercise is to ensure compliance with the accepted standard for safe driving under the Road Traffic Regulation (L.I 2180) 2012.
THE CUSTODIAN Northern Regional Correspondent, Mohammed Gadafi, has been monitoring the exercise being undertaken by a joint team of DVLA officials and officers of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of Ghana Police Service on several principal streets in the northern regional capital.
The team on Tuesday (June 28, 2022) carried out the exercise on the Tamale-Nyankpala highway to check roadworthy certification of vehicles as well as Driver’s License of vehicle owners in the metropolis.
The team also conducted checks on tricycle riders without appropriate certification and those overloading the 3-wheel machines.
The Northern Regional Director of DVLA, Mr. Mutawakil Abdulai, said authority was mandated to conduct such periodic exercise to ensure motorists comply with the laws governing the road.
“…So that is why we’re doing what we call compliance and the other aspect is that, we asking motorists that, you need a valid driving and riding license to stay on the road. It simply means here that if you do not have valid permit to be on the road, you have no business there” he indicated.
According to him, there has been a 2022 policy review on road traffic regulations that enjoins 3-wheel machines are fixed with number plates at the back and one at the front, adding, of course those you have seen they were stopped are 2022 registrations.
“It means that they have removed it or refused to put the second number plate which is an infringement and of course they ought to be stopped and thought the right thing to do” he added.
It has been observed that operators of the 3-wheel machines also known in Tamale as “Yellow Yellow” removed one of the registration numbers and place them on other unregistered vehicles.
In this regard, some of the tricycle with 2022 registration that were seen using a single number plate were impounded and the plates removed for the operators made to bring the other plate later at the DVLA office for both to be fixed on the machine.
Others without proper roadworthy documentation were compelled the required amount for the registration to done.
“What we’re doing is that, if somebody refuses to have valid roadworthiness, the only way you can compel the person to come is to pay for the roadworthy and bring the machine later to the office for inspection and that is why we say it is compliance and enforcement” Mr. Mutawakil emphasized.
Sustainability
The DVLA Northern Regional Director gave an assurance that as much the authority has the requisite capacity, the exercise would be continued to create awareness and educate the public on the need to comply with the safety practice on the road.
He noted the objective of the exercise is to promote general discipline and ensure motorists do the right things as stipulated by law.
