More than 5,000 people have used the express mobile service introduced by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to make its services easily accessible to drivers and potential drivers.
According to the DVLA, since its inception in August last year, the DEMOBS team has provided services to institutions and towns, including Dangote Cement Factory, Parliament House, Ellembele District in the Western Region, Ghana Revenue Authority headquarters, Asamankese-Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Barclays Bank head office, the Attorney General Department as well as the Ghana Immigration head office in Accra.
Other areas include: Kantanka Automobile garage, the University of Ghana, Legon, Agona Duakwa, Ada Bar Association, Kpando, Twifo Hemang in the Central Region, Tema Nestle office, Burma Camp and the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons.
The rest are Awutu Senya East, Ajumako Enyan-Essiam, Twifo-Praso, Breman Asikuma, Police headquarters, Pokuase, the 47 Engineers Regiment, Burma Camp, Anfoega, Axim, and Breman-Asikuma.
The initiative is primarily aimed at bringing eight driving licence-related services to the doorstep of corporate institutions, associations, tertiary institutions, organised drivers’ unions and other recognised groups, while eliminating the activities of middlemen also known as ‘goro’ boys.
Services offered by DEMOBS include the acquisition of learner’s driving licence, renewal of learner’s driving licence, issuance of international driving permit, renewal of driving licence and issuance of duplicate licence.
The rest are replacement of driving licence, conversion of foreign driving licence and upgrading of driving licence.
Only for licences
Currently, the DVLA has 27 operational centres across the country, with some regions having only one centre, a situation that creates avenues for ‘goro’ boys to ply their trade because of the inadequate access to the services of the authority.
DEMOBS is, therefore, meant to complement the work of the authority’s 27 operational centres. However, the mobile vans will not conduct theory test and in-traffic tests required by the authority. It does not work on roadworthy for vehicles.
The vans, fitted with eye screening and biometric data capturing equipment, will move to the doorsteps of customers upon request by an institution or group of persons to deliver services.
Its introduction formed part of measures to curb the activities of middlemen.
The fees are the same except for service charges which have been added as a means to maintain and replace the vehicles.
How to access the service
There are two ways of accessing the mobile service.
The first option is by request, where an institution or group of persons request the service. Here, both the authority and the institution will agree on a date and time and a vehicle with all the necessary equipment would move to the institution to deliver the services required.
At least 20 people are required before the DVLA can offer the service.
The service can also be accessed at the district level where the authority will select a district and publish a location and date for the public to patronise the service.
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