W/R. No drivers license for some ‘Rastafarians’ – DVLA

Western Region Director of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Mr. Emmanuel Narh has said, the Authority has stopped issuing driving license to Rastafarians who do not belong to any credible association or organization. According to him, Rastafarians who are unable to show reliable identity cards of their memberships to the various organizations will not be delivered licenses to permit them drive on Ghanaian roads.

Speaking to Samuel Kojo Brace on the Jolly Breakfast Show (JBS) on Skyy Power FM, Mr. Emmanuel Narh indicated that most Rastafarians are known to be substance abusers which prevents them from exhibiting accepted behaviors in societies.

”We have code of ethics in our job; we also have drivers conduct in the code. Before a driver is qualified to drive on our roads, we need to ensure the person is passed through physical examinations to know if the person is above eighteen years; is the person sound mentally; is the person’s sight good. In Ghana there are two types of Rastafarians – those who are decent and belong to credible associations with identity cards, and the others who are in the ghettos without any associations or groups.

“If you come to DVLA, is not every Rasta who is given a license, we ask if you belong to a credible association or group and have an identity card. If we are convinced you can be trusted with a driver’s license, you will be given. But if we are unable to identify that you belong to any Rasta organization or association and just an ordinary Rasta from the ghettos, we will not release a license to you,” Mr. Emmanuel Naah told Samuel Kojo Brace.

Former 1st National Trustee of the Ghana Private Road Transport Union, Mr. Kwesi Ansah agreed with Mr. Naah on the decision. According to him, there was a Rastafarian commercial driver in his station who was a known weed smoker, adding that the said Rastafarian was sacked from the station after he was unable to drive his vehicle which was full of passengers to their final destination, as a result of weed.