A directive from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) requiring owners of vehicles registered before 2023 to visit DVLA offices for a dig
A directive from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) requiring owners of vehicles registered before 2023 to visit DVLA offices for a digital update of their records has sparked widespread public backlash, particularly on social media.
Many citizens have questioned the logic, cost, and convenience of the exercise, describing it as burdensome and poorly communicated.
The directive, which is linked to the planned rollout of new vehicle licence plates in 2026, requires affected vehicle owners to migrate their details from the DVLA’s former manual system onto its digital platform.
According to the DVLA, vehicles that are not digitally onboarded will be unable to obtain the new licence plates once the necessary parliamentary approvals are completed.
However, reactions from the public suggest growing frustration with what many see as a contradiction in Ghana’s broader digitalisation agenda.
Several commentators questioned why a “digital update” would still require physical visits to DVLA offices, especially at a time when public institutions are encouraging online service delivery to reduce queues and inefficiencies.
Edward Bart-Plange described the directive as confusing, accusing DVLA leadership of unnecessarily stressing vehicle owners.
Others echoed similar sentiments, arguing that the process undermines the very concept of digital transformation.
Concerns about congestion and long queues featured prominently in the criticism.
GodsWill Adu Stanzzy Benjamin suggested that if the update is truly digital, the DVLA should create an online portal that allows vehicle owners to update their records remotely.
“Create a website, let them do it in the house,” he wrote, adding that queuing for registration services should be abolished altogether.
Others pointed to what they see as duplication of processes.
Kwame Michael questioned why vehicle owners must make a separate trip to the DVLA when they already return periodically for roadworthy certificate renewals. He suggested the digital migration could be integrated into existing renewal processes to save time and resources for both the public and the authority.
Some citizens questioned the necessity of the exercise altogether. “What’s the point?” asked John Deh, while Patrick Mensah raised concerns about data integrity, asking where existing records are if owners are being asked to migrate them again.
Stephen Tettey similarly argued that vehicle records should already be available at DVLA offices and questioned whether the directive implied that earlier records had been lost or destroyed.
Cost implications were another major concern. Commentators such as Gideon Mageady Afari and Ahmed Baba asked whether vehicle owners would be required to pay additional fees for the update and why the state could not absorb the cost if the migration is an institutional requirement.
Mawumenyo Kulioh Kulewosi described the directive as rushed, suggesting authorities “just want to do something by all means.”
Despite the public outcry, the DVLA has explained that the directive is a necessary step toward implementing the new licence plate system.
Speaking to Graphic Online in Accra, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the DVLA, Stephen Attuh, said vehicles registered before 2023 were processed under a manual system and must be onboarded digitally as part of the transition.
“Customers whose vehicles fall under this category need to visit any of our offices across the country to ensure that their manual registration files are migrated to the digital platform before we finally roll out the new licence plate system,” Mr Attuh said.
He stressed that vehicles not migrated onto the digital platform would not qualify for the new licence plates once parliamentary approval is secured.
The new plates are expected to incorporate Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology to enhance traceability and enforcement.
The DVLA initially announced that the new licence plate system would begin in January 2026.
However, on December 24, 2025, DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey announced a suspension of the rollout.
He explained that implementation could not proceed because proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2180), which governs the content and format of vehicle number plates, were still before Parliament.
COMMENTS