Drivers who wish to acquire a driver’s license or renew existing ones will no longer have their eyes tested at the offices of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) but rather at the designated optical centre.

According to the DVLA, it has decided to streamline its eye testing by allowing ophthalmologists to conduct a thorough eye test on clients before issuance or renewal of drivers licenses.

The Acting Head of Research, Business Development and Innovation, Mr Benjamin Peh disclosed this at a day’s Stakeholders Engagement and Staff Appreciation seminar organized by the Ghana News Agency-Tema Regional Office.

Mr Peh announced that “in compliance with the road traffic regulations from now onwards every eye test has to be done by a qualified eye specialist and the result sent to DVLA for verification and authentication”.

According to him, a list of designated eye testing centres would be provided for a client to go for the test and a mechanism would be put in place for the results to reach the office for the next stage of the license renewal or acquisition.

He explained that the DVLA currently conducts binocular vision assessment, and contrast sensitivity but had realized that a detailed eye test must be done as the current one was unable to detect other eye defects that may hinder smooth driving and could lead to accidents.

Mr Peh explained that; “There are other eye problems that probably we can’t detect at the DVLA office, with a qualified specialist they will identify it.

“We met with the Ophthalmologists who made us understand that they can even detect other sicknesses such as malaria through the eyes so when you go to them, such issues can easily be identified to help in reducing road crashes”.

A Licensed Surveyor and Chairman of the Public Affairs Committee of the Licensed Surveyors Association of Ghana, Mr George Okwabi Frimpong, educating participants on the new Lands Act said the Act would help protect surveyors in the bush as it has criminalized attacks on them.

Mr Okwabi Frimpong said, “we are happy that now there is a law to protect the surveyor in the bush, some have been beaten to death in the bush, hospitalized as a result of attacks in line of duty, and maimed”.

He explained that the Act stipulates that a person that obstructs a licensed surveyor from doing its legally mandated work when convicted would be liable to a fine of not less than 1,000 penalty units and not more than 10,000 penalty units or be imprisoned between one and ten years or both.

He, therefore, advised the public against attacking surveyors and also desist from destroying boundary pillars legally mounted, doing so have to dare consequences under the law.

Tema Regional Manager of the GNA, Mr Francis Ameyibor, welcoming the speakers said the engagement was initiated as a progressive and interactive platform that provided an opportunity for state and non-state actors to interact with reporters and address national issues.