The National vice chairman of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Mr Robert Sarbah, has called on both commercial and private drivers in the country to welcome the new smart driving licence being introduced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Mr Sarbah told the Daily Heritage in Accra yesterday that drivers should be patient and take time to go through the guidelines of the new system to adjust to it and not quickly condemn it.
He said with the new system, drivers would not have to renew their driving licence every two years but will have a six-year duration to renew it.
According to Mr Sarbah, authorities at the DVLA schooled members of GPRTU and other 14 transport unions in the country on the new smart licence which comes with a security chip embedded in it to discourage counterfeiting.
He said the chip would contain the driver’s information, which will be linked to the new national identification system in a safe manner.
“The GH¢ 91.00 increment that the DVLA has added to the old fees would go to the Consolidated Fund for the country’s development projects.
“Those who are opposing the new system and planning to embark on a demonstration and also accusing the GPRTU only want their voices to be heard. Instead of agitating, they should seek proper information about the new smart card,” he said.
The national vice chairman, who is happy about the new system, said the phenomenon of ‘Goro Boys’ will be a thing of the past.
“The introduction of the smart card would eliminate any human contact, fake driving licence and reduce road accidents because genuine drivers would be driving on the road,” he said.
In a related development, the Ghana Drivers and Car Owners Association has kicked against moves by the DVLA to introduce the new smart driving licence.
The Association, on Accra FM yesterday morning, said the DVLA should “refrain from trying to alter the current licensing process for drivers” or face the wrath of its members.
The association said after a careful study of the new system, it has come to the conclusion that the new licence will not only create severe inconveniences but also derail its members’ work.
“An instance is when an already-licensed driver will have to pay before he is given the digital licence by the DVLA,” a statement from the association said.
The Association also argued that “under the new module, drivers who present automatic vehicles to the DVLA during the acquisition of a licence shall not be permitted to drive any manual vehicle whereas our road regulations have not made any specific biased guidelines in favour of the manual or automatic vehicles.
“We find this move not only as a money-making venture by some self-seeking individuals but also a move that will totally subject us to police intimidation and, therefore, call on all stakeholders in the transport sector to kick against this proposal,” the statement added
Source: Daily Heritage
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