Members of the Parliament’s select Committee on Roads and Transport has charged management of the Diver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to ensure its services are decentralized. Members of the Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of the DVLA offices in some areas, particularly in the northern regions.
According to the vice chairman for the committee Andrew Chiwetey residents of the Upper West Region for instance are forced to travel long distances sometimes nearly 100 kilometres to acquire drivers’ license and access some other services of the authority. This came to light during a familiarization visit by members of the Road and Transport Committee to the headquarters of the DVLA.
The Deputy Chief Executive of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Foster Kwesi Asante, in a reaction disclosed that the Authority is undertaking a nationwide expansion of its services aimed at curbing the use of fake driving licenses and stickers, while also addressing accessibility challenges in underserved areas.
Speaking to journalists after a familiarization visit by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport Mr. Asante emphasized the Authority’s commitment to decentralizing its operations to ensure coverage across all regions of Ghana.
“There were three regions that did not have the benefit of DVLA offices. We are taking it there. As we speak, we are operationalizing an office at Bole to serve our good brothers who do not have access to DVLA services,” he stated.
The visit formed part of the Committee’s routine oversight responsibilities over transport agencies under the Ministry of Transport.
The Committee tasked the DVLA to establish and operationalize offices in all districts and pledged their support to facilitate this expansion.
Mr. Asante assured that the DVLA is already taking steps to expand its footprint, including opening new offices in Bechem, Bole, and other locations. He also stressed the deployment of mobile service vans to bring DVLA services directly to the public.
“The mobile vans go to marketplaces, stations, churches, and corporate offices when needed to serve people who cannot come to our offices due to tight schedules,” he explained.
He further addressed the prevalence of fake driver’s licenses and expired roadworthiness certificates, linking these issues to limited access to DVLA services.
“For someone to spend more than GH¢250 just to get a roadworthy certificate that costs far less is discouraging. This creates a fertile ground for illegality. That is why we are bringing the services to their doorsteps,” Mr. Asante said.
The Parliamentary Committee urged the DVLA to accelerate its expansion plans and continue modernizing its service delivery. Mr. Asante welcomed the feedback and reaffirmed the Authority’s mission to improve access while enhancing national revenue mobilization.
“We have taken it upon ourselves to bring services directly to the doorsteps of our customers and raise revenue for the state,” he emphasized
