Prime News Ghana

DVLA to begin oral tests for illiterate drivers

By Maame Aba Afful
dvla_begins_oral_exam_for_illiterate_drivers
DVLA begins oral exam for illiterate drivers
Shares
facebook sharing button Share
twitter sharing button Tweet
email sharing button Email
sharethis sharing button Share

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, DVLA has announced it will soon begin an oral examination for drivers who are unable to read and write.

DVLA plans to reform its license testing system in order to enable illiterate drivers to acquire professional driving licenses. Thus, the Authority will translate all the test questions into local languages by voice-overs, as well as increase road signs education.

Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, speaking to Daily graphic said that although the law stipulates that drivers should be able to read and write, there are many drivers who did not get the opportunity to be schooled but are employed as drivers. 

“Although the law says drivers should be able to read and write, we are sensitive to their jobs and how people feed their families. They are drivers and they have been driving for years, we can’t take away their livelihoods”

"We have to find ways to let them use the real licence instead of the fake ones. This is our concern. The administration of the whole computer-based examination is being reviewed. The questions will be reduced from 30 to 20, and then a lot more road signs and audio voice over will be introduced", he added.

Deputy director of the DVLA Kafui Semevor, also indicated on Starr FM that, Twi, Ga, Ewe, and Hausa are the languages chosen to ensure that people who can express themselves in these languages get to write the DVLA Test.

"After the implementation of the policy, people who speak Ga, Twi, Ewe & Hausa will be able to write the DVLA Test exams which will be in an audio form. With this reform, many of the drivers will benefit. There are a number of good drivers on our roads but they cannot read or write,” he said.

Background on previous DVLA regulation 

The DVLA, in 2008, introduced a regulation that demanded that only those who could read and write would be given a driver's licence.

The move was to ensure that all drivers in the country could understand the rules and regulations easily and also undertake the DVLA examinations without any assistance.

Under the 2008 regulation, the licences of illiterates who already possessed driver’s licences would not be renewed.

However, the decision fell through because of certain factors such as the lack of strict enforcement and the easy procurement of fake licences.

www.primenewsghana.com/GhanaNews 

Â