HGV Standard


Ghana’s road transport sector has attracted substantial investment in recent years and is now regarded as the country’s fastest growing economy. Supported by several large-scale infrastructure projects, including the Tema port expansion, Ghana is fast becoming a major trade and logistics hub and global gateway to the West Africa sub-region.

In 2019, amid safety concerns linked to an anticipated increase of heavy goods traffic on Ghana’s roads, Transaid was commissioned by APM Terminals to conduct a study into how this growth could be managed sustainably, in a way that prioritised safety. The study found that heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver training provision in Ghana was limited, and that the standards mandated by the government fell below those utilised by many larger international transporters, who in turn communicated difficulties recruiting suitably skilled drivers locally. As well as highlighting a growing skills gap, the study brought to light concerns that many HGV drivers on Ghana’s roads may not be adequately trained for the demanding roles they undertake, putting all road users at risk.

Running between February 2021 and July 2024 with the support of the Puma Energy Foundation, Transaid delivered a programme to improve HGV driver training standards in Ghana, bringing them into alignment with current industry practice. More than 30 stakeholders from the public, private and civil society sectors contributed to the developed of a new training curriculum and instructor’s manual, which were used to train 19 HGV driver trainers and four master trainers in Ghana. Over a two-year period in the project, more than 2,000 HGV drivers received refresher training in accordance with the new standard.

Officially launched by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) in June 2024, the new standard prescribes for the first time in Ghana the key competencies required of an HGV driver as well as the minimum number of hours each module is expected to take. The training materials are suitable for both refresher and new license acquisition trainings.