News

OPINIION: Proposal To Help Rein In Reckless Commercial Drivers

• By Ebenezer Albidar Narh
• June 17, 2021
• 0

I hope that this proposal gets to the leadership of the Road Safety Authority and others who can help rein in our incorrigible and teeming reckless drivers. 

I hope we can do something about reckless/rushing drivers, especially the commercial ones. These drivers have maimed and killed enough people already. 

I know there are many crazy private drivers but in a relatively free country, one may allow them their personal choice, at least, for now. 

Maybe some of these drivers have died before or have more than one life to live. 

On the other hand, many passengers don't even have say on the quality of their (commercial) drivers. 

The Police too, we all know, are too often only interested in  their bribes. 


So, I suggest that ALL COMMERCIAL DRIVERS in this country be promptly given a unique tag perhaps by the DVLA, henceforth, displayed conspicuously inside and on the vehicles they drive. 


We can start with the commercial drivers and expand to the rest of the driver population as soon as practicable. 

A driver lets someone else drive with their tag, at the risk of potentially damaging their own records.

Indeed, the tags should be designed in such a way as to make them easily changeable on/off a vehicle. The tag can be linked to the appropriate license, Ghana Card, Road Worthy Certificate, etc. 

A telephone Short Code can be setup, into which people can input the tag of dangerous drivers, as they observe them on the road or while sitting in their dangerous vehicles. Each unique phone number of Ghanaian Residents can be allowed to report one tag say once per year, to minimize targeting. 

Based on the number of and at a fair and well-thought-out set threshold, certain sanctions can be applied, including fines added on to Road Safety Certificate Renewals and even the suspension of licenses.

The Short Code can be setup to allow vehicle owners to check on the record of their drivers. Insurance companies can use such data, also, in their rates/risk assessments.

We ought to help our fellow citizens to live longer and healthier instead of dying or being injured by reckless COMMERCIAL DRIVERS, they have virtually no control over at the moment.

 

Prince Sefah is the Deputy Director General - Operations, NCA

and Chairman, Diaspora Patriots in Ghana (DPG) Foundation.


Source: Prince Sefah