Lawyer drags DVLA, NIC to court over Toyota Voxy licensing, registration

A road safety advocate has filed a suit at the Accra High Court challenging the continued licensing, registration and insurance of Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles in Ghana.

The plaintiff, Osei Kwabena Esq., is asking the court to declare the practice unlawful, arguing that the vehicles are being allowed onto Ghanaian roads without the necessary regulatory safeguards.

The action is against the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority and the National Insurance Commission.

According to the plaintiff, the Toyota Voxy/Noah was manufactured for the Japanese domestic market as a right-hand-drive vehicle and not as a left-hand-drive model.

He contends that the Voxy/Noah vehicles operating in Ghana as left-hand-drive vehicles were originally right-hand-drive vehicles that have been converted either locally or outside the country.

In his statement of claim, filed by Yeboah Osei-Kwabena Esq. of Lartey, Badombie & Co., the plaintiff argues that these conversions raise serious safety concerns.

He says Toyota Tsusho Corporation has indicated that the vehicle was built and certified under Japanese standards and does not carry additional international certifications.

The plaintiff also claims Toyota declined requests to undertake such conversions because of safety concerns.

He is therefore seeking a declaration that the registration, licensing and issuance of road use certificates for Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles without compliance with the Customs Act, 2015, Act 981, the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, L.I. 2180, and Ghana Standards Authority-approved standards is unlawful, null and void.

He is also seeking an injunction to restrain the DVLA, the NIC and their officers from registering, licensing, insuring or permitting the operation of converted right-hand-drive to left-hand-drive Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles in Ghana.

The plaintiff wants the restriction to remain until the Ministry of Transport issues a white paper or policy direction based on the report of a Technical Working Group.

His suit follows public concern over fatal crashes involving Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles.

The National Road Safety Authority earlier constituted a committee in February to examine the operational suitability and safety concerns associated with the vehicles.

The plaintiff relies on Section 58 of the Customs Act, which restricts the importation of right-hand-steering vehicles unless approved by the Minister.

He claims the Ministry of Transport has not granted written approval for the importation of converted right-hand-drive to left-hand-drive Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles.

He also cites Regulation 19 of the Road Traffic Regulations, which requires vehicle owners to obtain approval from the licensing authority before modifying a motor vehicle.

According to him, despite these requirements, the DVLA continues to register and issue road use certificates for the vehicles without subjecting them to enhanced inspection or special scrutiny.

The plaintiff further argues that the Ghana Standards Authority has not prescribed technical standards, codes of practice or specifications for converting Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles from right-hand drive to left-hand drive.

He says this regulatory gap has been worsened by the alleged failure of the National Road Safety Authority to properly regulate persons and businesses involved in motor vehicle conversions.

Osei Kwabena maintains that the conduct of the DVLA and NIC exposes road users to serious and irreparable harm, including possible loss of life.

He says the registration and insurance of structurally altered vehicles should not continue in the absence of clear approval, safety standards and policy direction.

The plaintiff has also filed a motion for interlocutory injunction to stop the defendants from registering, licensing, insuring or permitting the operation of the converted vehicles while the case is pending.

The motion is expected to be moved on August 13, 2026.