Regional News of Monday, 27 June 2016

Source: GNA

Driving schools should have lessons in local languages

Mr Tam Ernest, the Madina Drivers Welfare Committee Chairman of the Ghana Roads Transport Union, has appealed to the Driver Vehicle and Licensing Authority, to set up driving schools that would hold programmes in local languages.

He said this would help educate uneducated drivers on road safety regulations in order to reduce accidents.

Mr Ernest who made the appeal in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said: “The notion that if a driver hasn’t been to school he should not drive is wrong.”

He said majority of commercial drives have no formal education with their numerous years of driving experience.

He, therefore, charged the media especially radio stations to run programmes in the local languages on road safety geared towards enhancing their knowledge on rules and norms of their profession.

Mr Ernest said the lack of the understanding of the regulations had increased the lawsuits against drivers in the courts, adding that many drivers are currently in prison for road offences.

“When there is more education for drivers they would be abreast of road safety rules, which would inure to reduce road accidents and ensure passenger safety.

On sanitation, Mr Ernest deplored poor sanitary condition in the Madina Central Lorry Park and urged the assembly to rehabilitate the park, to ensure the clearance of choked gutters.

He also called on the assembly renovate the by-pass roads at the park in order to ease traffic on the compound thereby enabling workers and travellers to board vehicles during the rainy season.