Road safety should be a matter of concern to all commuters and, indeed, everybody.
The expanding economy and the growing population have unleashed all kinds of characters onto our roads, some of whom do not respect road regulations.
What is even more worrying is the fact that, many unqualified people have taken advantage of the weak vehicle licensing administration to do the wrong things on the roads.
The offices of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) have been taken over by middlemen or fraudsters who harass people seeking the services of the authority.
The offices of the DVLA in Accra, for instance, are under siege every day from middlemen or fraudsters who want to perform certain duties for drivers and prospective drivers for fees.
It is sad that many people do not know how much the DVLA charges for its services because the middlemen always serve as the interface between some unscrupulous DVLA officials and the fraudsters, otherwise known as ‘goro boys’.
Although top officials of the DVLA always deny the presence of these ‘goro boys’ they are always around offering services in broad daylight on the premises of the DVLA.
Many drivers, be they private or commercial, have had nasty experiences trying to access the services of the DVLA through the normal and approved channels.
Those who seek the services through the normal channels are often ignored in preference for the ‘goro boys’ who know their way about and are able to secure these services in the twinkle of an eye.
In a country where we want institutions to work, we should not allow a few selfish individuals to hijack these organisations for selfish gain.
It is for this reason that, authorities of the DVLA and the Ghana Police must do all that they can to weed out the ‘goro boys’ from motor vehicle administration in the country.
Meanwhile Today welcomes moves by the DVLA to roll out ‘smart’ driving licence next month to help fight fraud in the system as it will allow the public to access its services from the comfort of their homes or workplaces.
WE need to restore sanity into vehicle licensing to ensure that only qualified persons take charge of the steering wheels to safeguard the lives of the travelling public.
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