The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has disclosed that it inherited a backlog of more than 440,000 unprocessed driver’s licence applications, a development officials say posed significant operational and security risks.

In response, the Authority established a 24-hour operational centre to centralise the processing of licences. The initiative was aimed at accelerating issuance while tightening security controls to prevent unauthorised access and the production of fake licences.

The intervention has so far led to the clearance of approximately 400,000 pending applications. Nevertheless, some applicants continue to express frustration, with claims that they have been awaiting their licences since 2023.

To further ease the pressure, the DVLA has extended its round-the-clock services with the opening of an additional centre at Adenta.

Similar 24-hour operations are currently running at the ports in Takoradi and Tema, while regional offices that cannot sustain full overnight services are operating extended two-shift systems.

Speaking on Channel One TV on Friday, February 13, Director of Corporate Affairs, Stephen Attuh, explained: “Upon assumption of office by the current CEO, we noticed that there were over 440,000 backlog licence applications. So what he did was to commission a 24-hour centre because we wanted to centralise the system due to its security nature, so that we do not have people gaining access to it and issuing fake licences.

“What we are looking at currently is to operate our regional offices on a 24-hour basis. However, not all offices can function the same way.

“For those areas that cannot run a 24-hour service, we operate an extended service running two shifts until we see high demand, then we roll it out fully.”