Ghana’s Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has closed six private vehicle testing stations (PVTS) across the country after investigators found the facilities were issuing roadworthy certificates without physically inspecting vehicles.
DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey confirmed the closures at the inauguration of a new PVTS at Buduburam near Kasoa, disclosing that the action had been carried out over a two to three month period. “In the past two to three months, we have closed about six PVTS that did not inspect cars, yet they issued roadworthy certificates,” he said, warning operators and staff against corrupt practices.
The enforcement action forms part of a broader effort to clean up Ghana’s vehicle inspection regime, address market distortions, and protect revenue tied to roadworthiness certification. Kotey described fraudulent certificate issuance as an economic problem as much as a safety one, arguing it creates an uneven playing field for compliant operators and undermines public confidence in the DVLA’s public-private partnership model.
The Buduburam inauguration was part of a wider expansion exercise that also included the opening of the Anyaa Ultra Centre and the Kasoa Ultra Centre. Unlike PVTS facilities, which are limited to vehicle inspection and the issuance of test reports, Ultra Centres offer the full range of DVLA services including vehicle registration, licensing, and ownership transfers. The three new facilities are expected to reduce congestion at existing offices and broaden access to DVLA services in the Greater Accra and Central regions.
Kotey used the occasion to renew a warning to vehicle owners about informal middlemen, locally known as “goro boys,” whose involvement in DVLA transactions increases costs and reduces transparency. He said the Authority’s district expansion strategy is specifically designed to make their role redundant by taking services directly to communities.
The DVLA is also pressing ahead with the introduction of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) enabled number plates, which will be integrated into a central database to strengthen vehicle traceability and combat fraud. The rollout has been delayed pending Parliamentary approval of necessary amendments to Road Traffic Regulations, and mandatory re-registration of existing vehicles is scheduled to run between April 2026 and December 2027.
Madam Philis Naa Koryoo Okunor, Member of Parliament for Awutu Senya East, urged DVLA staff to uphold professionalism, while Ga Central Municipal Chief Executive Emmanuel Adotey Allotey pledged support for the Authority’s expansion drive.
