The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, has criticised the decision to ban Toyota Voxy vehicles for commercial use, arguing that state institutions rather than importers should be held accountable.
Speaking in an interview on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen show, he said it would be impractical to immediately ban more than 7,000 vehicles already in use across the country.
Mr Boakye questioned how such vehicles were allowed into Ghana in the first place, pointing to lapses by Customs officials. He noted that the Customs Act prohibits right-hand drive vehicles, yet thousands of such vehicles have reportedly entered the country.
He further alleged that about 90 per cent of the vehicles are converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive after importation, a process he believes could compromise their safety.
He also raised concerns about the role of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), questioning how the vehicles were registered and licensed for use.
“In the first two months of 2026 alone, we’ve recorded over 3,000 Voxy vehicles entering the country. In 2025, the total was 3,687. The report indicates that Customs have not performed their due diligence, as the Customs Act prohibits right-hand drive vehicles. Additionally, without ministerial approvals, all these vehicles have entered the country.
The report also states that 90% of these vehicles undergo a conversion from right-hand to left-hand drive. Changing the drive side can compromise safety, which could be contributing to accidents. It raises the question of how Customs has allowed so many right-hand drive vehicles to enter the country from the ports without scrutiny. Customs officials must answer these questions; it is not just the importers who should face consequences,” he said.
Mr Boakye insisted that importers should not be solely blamed, urging authorities to engage stakeholders and address regulatory failures within the system.
“The DVLA must also be held accountable for licensing these cars. If there is a move to ban 7,000 cars, the authorities should engage with the importers as they are also complicit in this situation,” he added.
Source: adomonline.com
