The Acting CEO of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has distanced himself from public backlash over traffic infraction and delinquency fees, clarifying that these charges are nothing new. According to him, they’ve been part of the law since 2012, long before he took office.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Mr Kotey explained that what has changed is not the law, but the enforcement. When he assumed leadership, he inherited just six compliance officers covering the entire Greater Accra Region, an insufficient number to effectively uphold road traffic regulations. In fact, some regions had no enforcement presence at all.
To tackle this enforcement gap, Mr Kotey rolled out a bold initiative: assigning 10 compliance officers per DVLA station nationwide. This move, he believes, has brought long-standing fees into public view, as officers are now more visible and proactive on the roads. “It’s not that the fines are new,” he stressed, “it’s that people are finally being held accountable.”
He further assured the public that the charges are fully legal, backed by existing Legislative Instruments and Parliament-approved traffic laws. He made it clear that under his tenure, no new amendments have been introduced regarding fines. The only bill sent to Parliament recently was related to the commercial use of motorcycles, not roadside penalties.
So next time you’re flagged down for a traffic infraction, remember: it’s not a new policy, it’s long-overdue enforcement catching up.
