New vehicle inspection company opens in Kumasi

S-CLASS Service, a private Vehicle Inspection and Technical Organisation (VITO), has started operations in Kumasi, a move which is expected to eliminate the menace of  middlemen (popularly known as ‘goro boys’) who issue fake roadworthy certificates. The project, which is a Public Private Partnership (PPP), is a fully automated and computerised testing that allows for very little human interaction as most of the testing for the roadworthiness of a vehicle is done automatically.

The facility is also expected to decongest the premises of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

The organisation has been authorised by the DVLA to check the roadworthiness of vehicles, as part of efforts and measures by the authority to reduce road crashes in the country.

Automatically, a vehicle that goes through roadworthiness would be checked for sideslips or alignment, suspension, brakes, service and parking, shock absorbers, trafficator and headlights, among others.

Ten minutes

Speaking at a ceremony to open the centre, the Head of Inspection of S-Class, Mr Louis Boateng, said immediately after the checks, which last an average of 10 minutes, the machine would print the results.

 He explained that the results were issued to DVLA officials on the premises and those whose vehicle passed the vigorous tests would be issued with certificates, while those who could not make it would have 10 working days to repair the detected faults and go back for recheck before the certificate of roadworthiness would be issued.

Precision equipment

Speaking to the Daily Graphic, the Managing Director of S-Class VITO, Mr Samuel Oppong, said the machines in Kumasi were precision equipment aimed at ensuring that the number of defective vehicles that contributed to the carnage on the country’s roads would be considerably reduced.

He added that it was a well-known fact that periodic checks on vehicles gave owners the opportunity to detect defects on their vehicles and have the opportunity to repair them to save their investments and precious Ghanaian lives.

Employment

Mr Boateng said apart eradicating the criminal activities of Goro boys, which happens at some DVLA offices, S-Class had also generated over 40 employment opportunities for some young people in Kumasi.