DVLA Automates Operations

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has launched an automated system that allows the public to access its services from the comfort of their homes or at their workplaces.

The system allows individuals and corporate bodies that plan to renew their licences or undertake activities relating to driving licensing and vehicle registration to log on to the website of the DVLA and access its services.

The new system will run concurrently with the old manual system until the end of September this year, when the old system will be phased out.

Under driving licensing, services that have been automated are: learners’ licence, renewal of licence, conversion of foreign licence, international drivers permit. The rest are replacement and upgrading of licence and proficiency test.

With vehicle registration activities, the automated services are: vehicle registration, transfer of ownership, renewal of registration, vehicle lay-off and international vehicle permit.
Why the automated system?

Speaking at the launch of the automation system in Accra on Tuesday, the acting Chief Executive of the DVLA, Mr Rudolp Beckly, said the system was aimed at “transforming the institution into a highly effective organisation through business innovation, best practices and re-engineering”.

“The principal objective of this project is the complete re-engineering of our procedures and processes leading to a new work flow that prevents fraud and revenue leakages. It will also prevent extortion from clients and also protect them from falling prey to the activities of middlemen,” he said.

According to Mr Beckly, the system would enable clients to obtain invoices for any service they applied for, adding, “This additional feature will ensure that clients are informed about how much a service will cost before coming to the DVLA.”

He said the second phase of the project would provide the platform for stakeholders, including the Ghana Police Service (GPS), the courts and other institutions, to interface with the DVLA for enhanced collaboration.

“We are rolling out our new platform in our offices located in Accra, Tema, Weija and Kumasi. The rest of our offices will be connected by the end of March 2014,” he said.
Transport system in Ghana

The Minister of Transport, Mrs Dzifa Aku Attivor, who launched the system, said since transportation was a major contributor to the development of any economy, there was the need for the DVLA to inject efficiency and reliability into its operations.

She said over the past years, the motor-vehicle administration in Ghana had been undermined by the activities of middlemen which had resulted in significant loss of human lives and revenue to the state.

“It is for this reason that the government is concerned with the unacceptable road crashes, which ultimately affect the growth of our economy,” she added.

The introduction of the automation, Mrs Attivor, said would create a platform for the public to access all services rendered by the DVLA and maximise road safety in the country.

She, therefore, urged Ghanaians to patronise the facility since it was an efficient mechanism to enhance the operations of the DVLA.
DVLA Commended

The Minister of Roads and Highways, Alhaji Amin Sulamani, who was the chairman for the occasion, commended DVLA for the initiative and urged the management to continue to devise effective means to improve on its operations.