Drivers back new number plates as DVLA prepares for pilot phase – CEO

• Drivers are backing Ghana’s new number plate system, according to DVLA CEO Julius Neequaye Kotey.

• The new plates are designed to improve vehicle security and registration, with technology that will make vehicles easier to verify and trace.

• The DVLA is preparing for the pilot phase as it moves ahead with plans to overhaul Ghana’s vehicle registration system.

Drivers are backing the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) incoming vehicle number plate system, with many urging the Authority to begin the rollout because they believe the new system will offer better protection for their vehicles.

DVLA Chief Executive Officer Julius Neequaye Kotey said drivers have repeatedly approached him to ask when the new number plates will be introduced, arguing that motorists want a registration system that works in their interest.

READ ALSO: DVLA boss explains how new number plates will expose fake registrations, track vehicle details and other key features

He said the support is largely driven by motorists’ desire to protect their vehicles and have a system in which properly registered vehicles can be distinguished from those operating outside the law.

Kotey added that the support has also been expressed publicly, saying some drivers have organised press conferences to communicate their position.

The planned number plate system represents a major change to how vehicles are identified and verified in Ghana.

Among the key changes will be the introduction of embedded RFID technology, which will allow authorised officials to electronically verify vehicle registration information. The new plates will also use a different numbering format, including codes identifying where a vehicle was registered, instead of displaying the year of registration.

READ ALSO: Ghana to adopt UK-style penalty points for drivers as DVLA CEO confirms pilot date for new number plates

The new system is designed to tackle vehicle-related fraud, number plate cloning and illegal embossing by connecting physical plates to a central digital database.

The DVLA has said the RFID technology will improve vehicle identification and traceability while giving law enforcement agencies another tool to verify vehicles.

Kotey's comments on driver support also come against the background of a separate problem the DVLA has been trying to address: the misuse of Defective Vehicle, or Dealer Vehicle plates.

DV plates are intended primarily for motor traders, dealers and other authorised users for specific purposes, such as moving unregistered vehicles, testing them or transporting them to approved locations. They are not intended to serve as permanent registration plates for private vehicles.

The DVLA has, however, raised concerns about motorists who keep vehicles on DV plates instead of completing the normal registration process.

The Authority later intensified a nationwide clampdown on expired DV plates and DP stickers, working with the Ghana Police Service's Motor Traffic and Transport Department to identify vehicles operating outside the approved registration framework.

The new registration system is expected to help address some of these challenges by making vehicle identification and verification more difficult to manipulate.

READ ALSO: DVLA CEO outlines long-term plan to end ‘goro boys’ operations in Ghana

One of the noticeable changes for motorists will be the removal of the registration year from the number plate.

Kotey has previously explained that the year displayed on the current plate has contributed to some vehicle owners' reluctance to complete registration because it makes the age of the registration immediately visible.

The new format will instead use location-based codes alongside the vehicle's unique number. For example, the code can identify the DVLA station or area where the vehicle was registered.

The DVLA says the broader reform is aimed at modernising Ghana's vehicle registration system, improving compliance and strengthening the integrity of vehicle identification.