People who give motorbikes to underaged persons are murderers - DVLA manager

Correspondence from Upper East:

The Upper East Regional Manager of the Drivers and Vehicles Licensing Authority(DVLA), Mr. Muktawakil Abdulai has described people who give motorbikes to persons below the age of 18years as murderers.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ghanaweb's Upper East Regional correspondent, Sarah Dubure, he explained that such people are wicked and barbaric because these minors are naive with regard to traffic regulations, hence they could easily be knocked down by vehicles.

He cautioned that anybody who gives a motorbike to someone below the age of 18 years commits an offense against the law.

The manager of the DVLA warned that when caught, both minor and the "giver" of the motorbike will be summoned to court.

He made the assertion, following the incessant motorbike accidents that have claimed a lot of lives in the region.

He rubbished the widely held notion that some persons are destined to die through road accidents.

"I said look, they are needless deaths. We in DVLA personally continue to challenge that thing that it is destined that the person must die from motor accident. Are we saying that God is wicked?" He quizzed.

"Anybody who is insisting that it is destined, we think it is wrong. It is a myth. You have the right to live up to the 100years," He added.

He revealed that the number of people who die through road accidents far outweighed that of those who die of the COVID-19 pandemic.

He noted that if the protocol of no mask no entry were passed for motor riders in the form of "no helmet no riding of motorbike", the incidents of people dying resulting from road accidents would reduce considerably.

Mr. Muktawakil reminded the police to hit the road and implement the laws, as they have been mandated to save lives.

"People are dying, meanwhile they are given uniforms to save lives". He pointed.

Mr. Muktawakil also charged the media and civil society to brace up and fight the indiscipline on our roads.

Noting that the District Assemblies have laws pertaining to traffic regulations, he indicated that they are mandated to collaborate with road safety agencies to help reduce the situation to the barest minimum.

He suggested that they could equally hit the streets with their task force to check for road irregularities, just as they usually storm the markets and streets to lock up unauthorized stores.

The manager further charged District Chief Executives to pass a directive for all motorbike riders to always wear crash helmets.

He added that the DCEs should issue a warning to the people that anybody who is arrested for not wearing a crash helmet would stay behind bars without bail, for a period not less than a month.

Mr. Muktawakil hinted that the Bolgatanga Municipal Assembly would be convening, and his outfit intends to be part of the meeting, to aid with suggestions on measures to put up to help arrest the incidents of rampant accidents and deaths.