The Chief Executive Officer of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), Julius Neequaye Kotey, has warned the public against using middlemen, popularly known as “goro boys”, to access services at DVLA offices.

He said anyone found acting as an intermediary at the new offices will face arrest.

“We don’t want anything like goro over here…No one, absolutely no one, should come and stand here and be an intermediary for our office…We don’t want the service of any goro man here. Otherwise, that will lead to arrest, serious arrest,” Mr. Kotey warned.

The CEO was speaking at the commissioning of a new DVLA office as part of the Authority’s accessibility drive.

He disclosed that the Authority has embarked on an instant printing of driver’s license cards as part of its centralization and reset agenda.

According to him, every DVLA office will now be mandated to print replacement cards instantly. 

He explained that renewal is done every two years while replacement is done every six years.

“If you are more than six years in the system, your card will be replaced for you and printed instantly for you. But if you are coming for a new driver’s license, you will go through the ISO specified time, which is three months, to obtain your physical card,” he stressed.

Mr. Kotey said the DVLA is no longer focused on constructing its own buildings before providing services. 

The Authority is now renting conducive offices to ensure every district gets an office.

“We came to meet 33 offices…This is the 27th office we have commissioned in the past one and half years,” he expounded, citing Bechem where the Authority spent about GH¢800,000 to set up but has generated over GH¢2 million.

He stressed that the opening of new offices is strategic to bring services closer to the people and eliminate the activities of middlemen.

On road safety, the CEO urged drivers to check their vehicles regularly, noting that many accidents are avoidable.

“It can simply lead to an accident which is highly avoidable…Mechanical fault leading to an accident is controllable. It’s preventable. Let’s control it.”

He thanked the Minister of Transport,Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the management of DVLA and all stakeholders for their support.