DVLA aims to turn Volta into a model road safety zone by next June

Pinned summary · as of 20:52

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority wants the Volta Region to become a model area for road safety by June of next year, according to Graphic Online. The authority's regional director, Rowland Coffie Dorkenoo, told the paper that motorists are obeying traffic rules more readily and that new camera-based enforcement is on the way.

What's disputed / unconfirmed

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  Graphic Online reported that the DVLA intends the Volta Region to become a showcase for road safety by next June. Mr Dorkenoo said growing compliance among motorists in the region gives him confidence about reaching that goal.
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  According to Graphic Online, Mr Dorkenoo said a system called Traffitech-GH, due soon, will let police record how fast vehicles travel with cameras and cooperate with the DVLA to trace offenders. He described it as the start of a new era of enforcement and said electronic notices sent to drivers would bring swift penalties.
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  Graphic Online reported Mr Dorkenoo as saying that transport adds a great deal to the regional economy, and that safer roads are what will keep that contribution growing.
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  Graphic Online reported that, by Mr Dorkenoo's account, the Volta office took in 1,662 applications for driving licences from January to June, while 1,930 candidates sat tests for new licences, upgrades and riders' permits over those months.
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  Mr Dorkenoo told Graphic Online that the regional office renewed 4,389 licences over the six months and issued replacements for 2,098 that had expired or gone missing.
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  Graphic Online quoted Mr Dorkenoo as saying that the first half of the year saw 4,459 new vehicle registrations in the Volta Region, 4,119 ownership transfers against an expected 3,398, and 3,426 roadworthiness applications handled.
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  Mr Dorkenoo said, as reported by Graphic Online, that the regional office's financial performance is 47 per cent higher this year than last year's.
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  According to Graphic Online, Mr Dorkenoo said the DVLA will try to cut accidents through public education and by teaming up with the National Road Safety Authority as well as the Motor Traffic and Transport Department. He also appealed to drivers to make sure their vehicle papers never lapse.
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  Graphic Online reported that Mr Dorkenoo blamed repeated crashes involving trucks coming down Galenkui Hill towards Ho-Bankoe on overloading and the steep slope. He said speed humps, avoiding overloading and observing speed limits would lower the number of accidents there.

Why it matters for Ghana

Drivers, riders and transport operators in the Volta Region would face closer monitoring of speed and of vehicle papers if the camera system is introduced as described. Motorists using the Ho-Bankoe stretch near Galenkui Hill are directly concerned by the talk of speed humps and load limits. Anyone renewing a licence or registering a vehicle in the region can also see the volume of work the local DVLA office reports handling.