The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has held its 2026 Mid-Year Review Conference at Abisim, Sunyani, in the Bono Region with a pledge to place road safety at the centre of its operational agenda as it advances its quest for digitalisation and extended service delivery.

In a statement read on behalf of the Minister of Transport, Hon. Joseph Bukari Nikpe, described DVLA as one of the best-performing public service organisations in the country over the past eighteen months, citing the clearance of 440,000 backlogged driver's licences and the introduction of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) number-plate system as evidence of the Authority's progress.

“The true measure of public-sector reform lies not in how impressive a policy sounds on paper, but in how differently the ordinary Ghanaian experiences government because of it.” he said.

The Minister drew attention to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), which took effect on May 28^th this year and covers vehicle registration, driver licensing, the towing of disabled and abandoned vehicles, automated traffic law enforcement, operator registration and compliance and the use of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles for fare-paying passenger services.

He charged Management to deepen collaboration with the National Road Safety Authority, the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Standards Authority and the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority as the regulations take full effect and commended the Board and Management for operationalising the Adenta 24-hour office and extending service hours at other locations.

Setting the tone for the Board's contribution to the mid-year review, the Chairman of the Governing Board of DVLA, Mr. George Spencer Quaye, cautioned that the Authority's performance must not be measured by revenue, registrations or licences alone, insisting that a driving licence must be earned through demonstrated competence rather than acquired through influence, intermediaries or payment. A fraudulent licence, he warned, can become a lethal document.

He outlined ten commitments for the second half of the year, spanning road safety as a core performance measure, tighter driver licensing, wider use of technology including the RFID-enabled number-plate programme, stronger vehicle inspection, risk-data capability, zero tolerance for fraud, motorcycle and commercial rider safety, inter-agency collaboration, improved customer service and accountability for results. He urged Management to translate them into measurable priorities with clear ownership, timelines and regular reporting to the Board.

The Chief Executive of DVLA, Mr. Julius Neequaye Kotey, described the theme as a charge rather than a slogan and reported that extended service hours were now operating at Head Office, Cantonments, Weija, Nsawam, Tema, Kumasi, Tarkwa, Bolgatanga, Wa, Tamale, Takoradi, Cape Coast, Koforidua, Sunyani, Ho, Techiman and Winneba, with Adentan continuing to serve as the pilot for the full 24-hour service model.

He said the Authority had commissioned 29 new offices and Ultra Centres nationwide, cleared a significant portion of the licence backlog, introduced cloning detectors and begun piloting the new RFID-enabled number plate system, which is designed to provide greater security, traceability and accountability in vehicle registration.

Looking ahead, he announced plans for the instant printing of driver's licences, a DVLA Skills Development Centre, an E-Library and a Point Management Centre.

Technology alone, he stressed would not deliver the transformation and he challenged staff to see themselves not as a passenger in the process but as a champion of it.

The conference which was on the theme "Transforming DVLA for a Digitally-Driven and Efficient 24-Hour Service Culture," brought together the Governing Board, Management and staff of the Authority, a representative of the Minister of Transport, the Bono Regional Minister and representatives of partner institutions.