...educated persons

Kumasi, Sept. 18, GNA - A proposal has been made to the Government to come out with a policy framework that would restrict the issuance of license for commercial vehicle drivers, to only those who have acquired Basic Education and above.

Mr. Opoku Agyemang Prempeh, Managing Director of Lakayana Company, a Civil Engineering and Debt Collecting Firm, said apart from the educational background, the policy should also make it mandatory that the applicant attains the age of 30 years and above.

Mr. Prempeh made the proposal when he addressed a forum of leaders of Virgins Clubs in the Kumasi Metropolis in Kumasi on Saturday. He said most accidents involved commercial vehicles, and there was therefore the need to properly screen the drivers before issuing them with any license, in order to guarantee safe driving.

Mr. Prempeh observed that most of the motor accidents on the country's roads were as a result of the inability of most drivers to comprehend road signs and regulations, resulting from the lack of formal education.

He was not happy that there were too many private Driving Schools in the country who do not have the requisite logistics and facilities for training drivers, yet they were fully in business. He said such Driving schools often issue faked license and qualifications to drivers and certifying them as qualified to be professional drivers, thereby ending up with unqualified drivers plying the roads, and causing numerous accidents. Mr. Prempeh said as part of measures to instill sanity in the driving profession, there was also the urgent need to screen all such driving schools, close down those which do not meet the criteria for operating a driving school.

He said driving schools that would be made to operate should be monitored on a regular basis to ensure that they are up-to-date with the sort of driving skills and knowledge impacted to the drivers.