By Eric Appah Marfo
Accra, April 8, GNA – Mr. Abraham Amaliba, Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), has warned that garages converting right-hand drive vehicles to left-hand drive are engaging in illegal activities and must desist.
He described the practice as deeply concerning, saying it undermined road safety and contributed to systemic challenges in the transport sector.
Mr. Amaliba gave the caution on Wednesday in Accra during the presentation of a technical committee’s report on the engineering integrity, safety implications and suitability of Toyota Voxy vehicles for commercial passenger transport in Ghana.
The 14-member committee, chaired by Dr. Godwin Kafui Ayetor, an automobile engineer, was constituted following public concern over the increasing involvement of Toyota Voxy vehicles in road traffic crashes.
Mr. Amaliba said the Authority would collaborate with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service and other relevant institutions to clamp down on the practice, including the closure of garages engaged in illegal conversions and prosecution of offenders.
“The Police is the enforcing body. We do not have the power to enforce. We are to sensitise and educate. With the MTTD, those garages will be closed down,” he said.
Mr. Amaliba said many commuters were unaware of the risks associated with using such vehicles for long-distance travel and stressed the need for intensified public education.
“The passenger is often innocent. They simply want to travel. It is our responsibility to ensure they are informed and protected,” he said.
The committee found that more than 7,257 Toyota Voxy vehicles in Ghana had been converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive, although the model was not manufactured in left-hand drive.
It noted that Section 58 of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891), prohibited the importation of right-hand drive vehicles without ministerial approval.
The report further indicated that most conversions were carried out by unregulated artisans without adherence to engineering and safety standards, thereby compromising vehicle integrity.
Dr Ayetor said the practice extended beyond Toyota Voxy vehicles to include V8 and heavy-duty models, pointing to regulatory lapses in importation, registration and commercial use.
Mr. Amaliba assured that the NRSA, in collaboration with stakeholders, would implement the committee’s recommendations to enhance public safety and prevent the importation and registration of right-hand drive vehicles for commercial purposes.
Mr. MacMillan Prentice, Team Lead for Vehicle Homologation and Conformity Assessment at the Ghana Standards Authority, said enforcement of standards for used vehicles had commenced, including pre-shipment inspections, prohibition of right-hand drive vehicles and structural integrity checks.
He said engagements with the Ghana Revenue Authority (Customs Division) and operators of the Integrated Customs Management System were ongoing to strengthen enforcement, with full implementation expected within four to six months.
Chief Teete Owusu-Nortey, International President of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, called for intensified public education and stakeholder collaboration to address the situation.
He said many drivers of such vehicles were young and inexperienced and stressed the need to ensure the report translated into action to save lives.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey