The Abuakwa South Member of Parliament, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has expressed concerns over the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) decision to suspend the rollout of the new vehicle number plate system, initially scheduled for 1 January 2026.

According to him, the move raises serious legal and public safety concerns.

DVLA delays implementation of Ghana's new vehicle number plate system

The suspension follows concerns raised in Parliament regarding institutional readiness, stakeholder engagement, and the absence of legislative amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180).

The High Court also granted an injunction on 23 December 2025, restraining the implementation of the proposed system.

While acknowledging that the suspension was appropriate, the MP, in a statement dated December 29, 2025, highlighted that the DVLA’s directive allowing vehicles with Drive from Port (DP) and Defective Vehicle (DV) plates to continue using them “until further notice” is incompatible with Ghana’s insurance laws.

“DP and DV plates are, by their nature, temporary and conditional. Insurance cover issued in respect of such plates is limited in duration and scope, pending inspection and full registration. They are not intended to permit prolonged or indefinite use of vehicles on public roads,” he argued.

The MP stressed that sections of the law impose statutory duties on insurers and drivers to protect third parties in the event of accidents.

“Administrative directives cannot lawfully override these statutory obligations,” the MP warned.

He has therefore called on the Minister for Transport to intervene immediately to regularise the status of DP and DV plates in compliance with the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act; ensure that no vehicle operates without valid insurance; issue clear directives to the DVLA to prevent uninsured road use; and safeguard public confidence in vehicle registration and road safety.

“The continued use of DP and DV plates without clear legal and insurance regularisation, therefore, places motorists, pedestrians, and passengers at unacceptable risk and undermines the integrity of Ghana’s compulsory motor insurance regime,” he said.

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He added, “Compulsory motor insurance exists to protect the public, not to accommodate administrative uncertainty. The law is clear, and compliance is not optional, the National Insurance Commission must therefore rise to ensure strict enforcement of insurance provisions.”

MAG/EB