The Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South, Dr. Kingsley Agyemang, has welcomed the decision by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to suspend the proposed new vehicle number plate system, but has warned that the accompanying directive poses serious legal and public safety risks.
In a statement dated December 29, 2025, Dr. Agyemang said the suspension—originally scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2026—was necessary due to unresolved concerns about institutional readiness, stakeholder engagement, and the lack of required amendments to the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180).
He also noted that a High Court injunction issued on December 23, 2025, had restrained the implementation of the new system.
However, the Abuakwa South MP expressed strong reservations about the DVLA’s instruction allowing vehicles operating with Drive from Port (DP) and Defective Vehicle (DV) number plates to continue using them “until further notice.”
According to Dr. Agyemang, the directive conflicts with the Motor Vehicles (Third Party Insurance) Act, 1958 (Act 42), which mandates that every vehicle used on a public road must be covered by valid third-party insurance. He explained that DP and DV plates are temporary in nature and are only intended for short-term use pending inspection and full registration.
“Insurance cover issued for DP and DV plates is limited in scope and duration. Prolonged use of such vehicles on public roads undermines the compulsory motor insurance regime and exposes the public to serious risk,” he said.
Dr. Agyemang warned that permitting vehicles to operate without valid insurance defeats the legal protections guaranteed to third parties under the law, including the right to compensation for injury, death, or property damage. He added that the situation could result in uninsured road use, uncompensated victims, and unnecessary litigation.
He further noted that sections of the Act criminalise the use of vehicles on highways without valid insurance documentation, stressing that administrative directives cannot override statutory obligations.
The MP has therefore called on the Minister for Transport to urgently intervene to regularise the status of DP and DV plates in line with insurance laws, ensure that no uninsured vehicles are allowed on public roads, and issue clear policy direction to the DVLA to protect road users.
Dr. Agyemang also urged the National Insurance Commission to enforce insurance regulations strictly, emphasizing that compulsory motor insurance exists to protect the public and must not be compromised by administrative uncertainty.
