The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has cracked down on regulatory negligence, closing six Private Vehicle Testing Stations (PVTS) across the country over the last 90 days.

The closures follow a series of audits revealing that the affected centres had been issuing roadworthiness certificates to vehicles that never underwent physical inspections.

The DVLA boss disclosed this during the commissioning of three state-of-the-art vehicle inspection centres in the capital.

According to the Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, the proliferation of rickety and dangerous vehicles on Ghana’s highways is often the result of private partners neglecting their core mandate. He argued that when these private stations fail to conduct proper checks, the public backlash is unfairly directed at the DVLA.

"In the past three months, we have closed about six PVTS that did not inspect cars, yet they issued reports suggesting that the cars are roadworthy,” he stated.

“When they test, they issue a report. It is based on that report, whether qualification or disqualification, that the DVLA makes a decision,” Mr. Kotey explained. “So when you see rickety cars on the road, sometimes DVLA is being lampooned, but on this note, I want to tell us that we should all keep an eye on every PVTS.”

The CEO emphasised that the DVLA is technically reliant on the integrity of the data provided by these private entities. To clean up the sector, he called for a citizens' watch approach, urging Ghanaians to hold these institutions accountable to ensure collective road safety.

“We are all Ghanaians and it is our responsibility to ensure that every institution is efficient."

The commissioning of the three new centres is part of a broader strategy to modernise vehicle testing and reduce human interference, which often leads to the issuance of fraudulent reports. By expanding the network of high-standard testing sites, the DVLA aims to make it harder for sub-standard vehicles to slip through the cracks.

The DVLA has warned that it will continue its secret shopper audits and technical reviews to ensure that no vehicle is certified without passing the rigorous safety checks required by law.