The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr Kingsley Agyemang, has welcomed the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority’s (DVLA) decision to suspend the implementation of the proposed new vehicle number plate system but has cautioned that elements of the accompanying directive raise serious legal and public safety concerns.

In a statement issued on Monday, December 29, following the suspension of the new system originally slated to take effect on January 1, 2026, Dr Agyemang described the decision as appropriate. He cited concerns raised in Parliament over the DVLA’s preparedness, insufficient stakeholder consultation, and the absence of the required amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180).

He also referenced a High Court injunction granted on December 23, 2025, which restrained the rollout of the proposed number plate system.

However, the Abuakwa South MP expressed strong opposition to the DVLA’s directive allowing vehicles operating with Drive from Port (DP) and Defective Vehicle (DV) number plates to remain on the roads “until further notice.”

According to Dr Agyemang, the directive conflicts with the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958 (Act 42), which requires every vehicle used on a public road to have valid third-party insurance coverage.

He explained that DP and DV number plates are temporary and conditional, with insurance policies issued under them typically limited in duration and scope, pending inspection and full registration. Allowing their extended use, he warned, undermines Ghana’s compulsory motor insurance framework.

“The purpose of compulsory insurance is to protect innocent third parties in cases of death, bodily injury or property damage,” he noted.

Dr Agyemang further pointed out that sections 10 and 11 of Act 42 impose a legal obligation on insurers to satisfy judgments awarded to third parties, an obligation that is only enforceable when valid insurance exists at the time of an incident.

“Permitting vehicles to operate without valid and effective third-party insurance exposes the public to uninsured road use, uncompensated victims and unnecessary litigation,” he cautioned.

He stressed that administrative directives cannot override statutory requirements, referencing sections 16 and 17 of Act 42, which criminalise the use of vehicles on public roads without valid insurance documentation.

The MP therefore urged the Minister for Transport to take immediate action to regularise the use of DP and DV number plates in full accordance with the law, ensure that all vehicles on public roads are covered by valid third-party insurance, and issue clear policy directives to the DVLA to curb uninsured road usage.

Below is the full statement