The Association of Certified Driving Instructors of Ghana (ASSODRIVE) has strongly rejected allegations by the Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, that private driving schools are producing sub-standard drivers.
The reaction follows comments attributed to Mr Kotey on August 16, 2026, where he justified the establishment of a new skills development centre on the grounds that private institutions fail to train drivers to the regulator’s satisfaction.
In a statement signed by its National President, Inst. Marshall MK Bobobee, ASSODRIVE expressed grave concern over the CEO’s continued silence following the publication, arguing that the failure to issue a public correction leaves the industry with no choice but to treat the claims as deliberate. The group also criticized the Ghana National Association of Driving Schools (GHANADRIVE) for remaining silent for a full week rather than defending its member institutions.
“Silence from an association whose members are directly accused is not neutrality; it invites the public to assume agreement,” the statement read.
ASSODRIVE pointed out that under Section 3(1)(d) of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority Act, 1999 (Act 569), the DVLA alone holds the legal mandate to test applicants and issue licences. The association stressed that instructors merely teach according to the syllabi and standards designed, issued, and monitored by the DVLA itself under Sections 3(1)(a)-(c).
“Instructors teach; DVLA alone tests and certifies fitness to drive by issuing the licence. If a licensed driver later proves unsatisfactory, that outcome passes through DVLA’s own testing and licensing gate under section 3(1)(d), a gate no driving school or instructor controls,” Mr Bobobee stated.
The professional body highlighted that Section 3(1)(m) of Act 569 charges the Authority with ensuring strict compliance with regulations, making any public indictment of instructors without prior engagement an admission of the DVLA’s own supervisory failures. Furthermore, it noted that the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153) explicitly requires the regulator to collaborate with relevant safety bodies on policy formulation and training standards.
Rather than trading blame, ASSODRIVE urged the DVLA to lead the implementation of a single national, live, end-to-end digital licensing ecosystem. According to the proposal, the system would track a learner’s journey from fee payment and instructor allocation to logged practical hours and final testing, identifying exact performance gaps with verifiable data.
The association called on Mr Kotey to either substantiate his allegations with hard evidence or publicly retract the statement, while reiterating its readiness to engage the DVLA on curriculum reviews and digital integration.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
