Drivers petition IGP amidst rising tension with DVLA

There seems to be some friction building up between the True Drivers Union and the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The friction has culminated in the drivers petitioning the Ghana Police Service, requesting them to exercise restraint on the arrest and prosecution of drivers with expired licences.

The Union in a petition to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) contends that it is not the making of their members that they have not been able to renew their drivers’ licences but that of the service provider.

Portions of the petition intercepted by 3news.com reads: “We therefore wish to inform the Ghana police service that it has never been the intention of hard working drivers not to renew their expired licence but as a result of the drivers and vehicle licencing Authority’s denial to do same”.

They believe the alleged denial is a consciously subtle attempt by the DVLA to incite them against the law because they resisted attempts by the DVLA to introduce a new drivers’ licence.

The petition states, “This clandestine agenda to set drivers against the laws of our land and the police service was unleashed by the Drivers and vehicle licencing Authority (DVLA) when drivers prudently agitated towards the introduction of a poor and cumbersome method of introducing a new driver’s licence.”

The Union has also given its word that it will use all appropriate means to pursue all incidents of injustice meted out to them.

They cautioned, “We will also use this same medium to caution the Authorities of DVLA that well meaning drivers will not hesitate to register our plight through the appropriate quarters towards any unlawful and outrageous means of extorting monies from drivers”.

The Union is also calling on the Minister for Transport to intervene in the matter because they believe “his ministry is being used as a conduit against drivers” and his intervention will salvage the situation.

Background The DVLA had earlier in the year announced the introduction of a new biometric drivers’ licence which will have enhanced security features.

Following the announcement, some concerned drivers threatened a demonstration to register their displeasure with the introduction of the new smart drivers’ licence.

The sector minister, Kweku Ofori Asiamah, later wrote to the DVLA asking them to suspend the exercise while he “obtains approval from the ministry and cabinet”.

Source: 3news