The Driver and Vehicle Licencing Authority (DVLA), on Wednesday launched a standardised instructor’s drivers training manual and curriculum for drivers of Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV), to enhance their competency and promote road safety.
The manual and training curriculum was developed and implemented by TRANSAID, an international development organisation that transforms lives through safe, available, and sustainable transport, in partnership with the Government of Ghana and the DVLA.
The document spells out the aims, outcomes, and minimum entry requirements for trainees, curriculum duration, teaching methods, trainee evaluation, assessment criteria, certification, as well as modules of the training programme for drivers of HGV.
The Chief Executive of the DVLA, Mr Kwasi Agyeman Busia, who unveiled the HGV driving instructors, said the manual and training curriculum was important to addressing challenges heavy goods vehicle drivers faced on the roads.
He explained that the document was not only a collection of guidelines, but represented the collective efforts, research and dedication from experts across various fields, to empower drivers and safeguard roads.
“This manual is not the end of a journey. It is rather the beginning of a foundation upon which we will continue to build and improve. The impact may well best be realised when standards are applicable to Economic Committee of West African States (ECOWAS) and the sub region at large,” Mr Busia said.
He noted that the DVLA had made some achievements, including the expansion of its operations across the country and introduction of an electronic vehicle registration system, and urged stakeholders in the transport sector to remain dedicated to safety, efficiency and sustainability.
The Minister of Transport, Mr Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, called on policy makers and stakeholders in the transport sector to provide drivers with tools, knowledge, and skills required for growth as their roles had evolved over the years due to rapid advancement in technology and autonomous vehicles.
Mr Asiamah, who was represented by the Deputy Minister of Transport, said the ministry, was committed to improving access to high-quality training for commercial drivers, to equip them with the needed skills and expertise for excellent service delivery.
He also urged stakeholders in the transport sector to involve vehicle owners in road safety campaigns, to enhance adherence to road safety regulations.
Present at the launch were members of the DVLA, Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CITL) Ghana, representatives from TRANSAID, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and other agencies.
The HGV driver training standard project is a three-year project that began in February 2021, and launched by the international development organisation, with support from the Puma Energy Foundation.
Expected to end next month, the project was developed following an assessment of commercial HGV drivers in the country by TRANSAID, which found out that many commercial operators in the transport sector relied on their own internal training standards and recruited drivers outside the country.
BY BENJAMIN ARCTON-TETTEY
