Mr Kwabina Adoku, the Chairman of the Nima branch of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has appealed to government to help resolve the impasse between the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Drivers Unions.

The two organizations are in conflict over issues relating to driver insurance and license acquisition.

Mr Adoku urged members of the GPRTU and other driver unions not to embark on strike whilst efforts are made to address the situation, as strikes impacts negatively on the economy.

Mr Adoku, who made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Accra on Thursday, said majority of the commercial drivers were uneducated and therefore, could not cope with the current policies.

The DVLA is requiring drivers to attain a level of education before they could be issued with driving licenses as well as high insurance charges that they are required to pay.

Mr Adoku said currently, many driver-mates and other young men were qualified to drive but were crippled in their efforts to acquire licenses.

He called on government to partner the DVLA to establish local driving schools within the various driver unions to educate drivers in the local languages on existing driving regulations and keep them informed about modern driving trends.

On the use of seat-belts for all commercial vehicles, Mr Adoku said most commercial vehicles imported were without passenger seat-belts, adding that, belts were more suitable for long journey vehicles.

“The DVLA should initiate measures to accommodate uneducated drivers since they constitute the majority of drivers in the private sector,” he said.

Mr Hamid Swallah, the Nima branch Secretary of the GPRTU bemoaned the challenges facing drivers with regard to the acquisition of stickers for their vehicles.

He said since the privatisation of the issuance of stickers by the DVLA, drivers have had to join long queues in Accra to acquire stickers, and in most cases, they are told that the stickers had run out, creating more problems for them.