Licensing students before graduation: DVLA in talks with UCC
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority DVLA is working with tertiary institutions to give out driving licences to tertiary education students before they graduate.
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To this end, the DVLA has begun talks with the University of Cape Coast (UCC) to structure modalities for the possible roll out of the programme.
With the anticipated arrangement, students in particular would access driver training sessions after which they would be tested and licenced before graduating.
Quality services
This would be done at their own pace and convenience during their time on campus.
The Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Kwasi Agyeman Busia, said the move was to reach many people with the services of the DVLA.
In a meeting with the leadership of the UCC last Wednesday, Mr Busia said the authority was committed to providing quality world-class services at the doorstep of all Ghanaians.
Changed narrative
He indicated that the DVLA had worked since 2017 to move from a perceived corrupt image to one of the most efficient public institutions in the country, saying it was with that same commitment to excellence that the DVLA would pursue its future goals.
Mr Busia observed that bureaucracies, corruption and the infamous middlemen popularly known as "goro boys", who were in the processing systems of the DVLA were now a thing of the past, giving way to a more efficient automated system.
"The narrative about the DVLA was not that complimentary.
In fact, we were perceived to be one of the most corrupt institutions if not the most corrupt in the country in 2016 by the Ghana Integrity Initiative, an affiliate of Transparency International.
The narrative was poor; we were not happy about it," he stated.
He said the DVLA had over the years worked and transformed itself into an efficient and sustainable institution.
Similarities
Mr Busia said the DVLA saw similarities between UCC and the authority in their quest for excellence, saying the partnership would also be in the areas of research training and capacity building for the authority and its staff towards excellence and improved customer efficiency.
He further stated that the authority was introducing innovative ways to ensure the public were better served.
The Provost of the College of Health and Allied Sciences of UCC, Prof. Martins Ekor, who stood in for the Vice-Chancellor, said UCC itself as the best in the country was committed to excellence and was ready to collaborate for mutual benefits of both institutions.
Academia industry collaboration
He stressed that industry-academia collaboration was one of the sure ways to impact society, adding that he was optimistic the collaboration would be fruitful.
The Registrar of UCC, Jeff Onyame, said the move was a promising one that would be beneficial to both institutions.
