The Greater Accra Regional Office of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) says the electronic Vehicle Registration System (VRS) has reduced congestion at the office premises.

On the first working day, January 2, the Office registered 98 vehicles, second day 206, third day 130, and fourth day 268, giving a total of 702 vehicles registered electronically.

This comprised private vehicle, commercial vehicle, motorcycle, and tricycles.

Mr Attah Kumah Mensah, Greater Accra Regional Manager of the DVLA, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA).

He explained that the reduced congestion was due to several interventions.

“This year, our yard wasn’t congested as it used to be. This is because with the electronic system, you need not drive to Accra Office to get registered.

“Vehicle owners can start the process from the comfort of wherever they are. They raise an invoice before they get to our facility. So, when they come here, the turnaround time is reduced,” Mr Mensah noted.

He said the new system could accept three different ways of verification -by the use of the finger, face, or an electronic application.

“So, an importer can use the electronic application to verify him or herself without coming to the office.

“Not depending solely on one form of verification,” Mr Mensah said.

He added that, customers could also make payments by using electronic platforms, including ghana.gov, credit card, and mobile money.

That, he said had prevented congestion at the on-site bank on the premises, unlike previously where one had to pay cash to get registered.

He noted that the bureaucratic delays associated with the manual registration had been eliminated under the electronic system, as there was no need to physically move documents from one desk to another.

Mr Mensah said another major intervention, was that other DVLA district offices which were previously not doing registration were now empowered to do so—leading to even spread of the workload.

These district offices with their prefixes include Winneba (CW), Dunkwa-On-Offin (CN), Offinso (AN), Effiduase (AF), Axim (WX), Sefwi Wiawso (WN), Akatsi (VA), Kumawu (AU), Kintampo (BK), and Akim Oda (ED).

He said there was a response team at the DVLA Head office that helped to resolve network challenges that the regional office encountered.

Under the manual system, one major drawback, Mr Mensah said, was registration of uncustomed vehicles—a practice which the electronic system had helped to control.

He indicated that, with the electronic system, there was integration between DVLA and the Integrated Customs Management System (ICUMS) Database.

“DVLA is able to verify and validate your vehicle through the ICUMS platform. So, if duty is not paid, it will be difficult, if not impossible for you to have your vehicle registered,” he explained.

The integration, he said, had increased revenue for the State.

Mr Mensah added that: “There is integration between DVLA Database and that of the National Identification Authority (NIA). So, when you come that you are an importer, you want to register a car, we have to verify you in real time. When we verify you, your data that resides in NIA database comes to us, we do verification, and then we go ahead to register.”

That he said, had prevented the occurrence of identity theft.

“This time, we are all trying to protect the environment to make the environment cleaner. So, moving from manual regime to electronic, it means we are not going to depend on paper, reducing the need to cut down trees,” he noted.

Mr Mensah advised vehicle owners and potential vehicle owners to visit any DVLA office to verify whether duty had been paid before going ahead to buy vehicles.

He said if they did not verify and it happened that duty on the car had not been paid, then DVLA would not be able to register the car.

He added that: “Potential car buyers should double-check before they part with money to buy a car. They should make sure the owner is within reach. You should have communication link with the owner so that wherever he or she is, we can send an app for them to do verification.

“Whatever service people want to apply for, be it vehicle registration or transfer, they can start online before they get to our facility. They can log on to online.dvla.gov.gh and apply for the service they require.”

Ms Anne Asirifi, a customer, came to the office on Thursday with five cars, and was able to register two, explaining that, the remaining three could not be registered because she did not have the requisite documents.

She came back on Friday with the necessary documents and was able to register the remaining three, too.