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The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) has issued a stark warning to the Ghanaian public after uncovering that approximately 75% of driving licenses held by ride-hailing operators are counterfeit. This alarming discovery was made public by the DVLA Chief Executive Officer, Julius Neequaye Kotey, during a broadcast on Atinka TV on August 11, 2026. The findings underscore a critical failure in the regulatory oversight and verification protocols within the burgeoning digital transport sector, raising immediate questions about the security of passengers who rely on these services daily.
The investigation focused on drivers registered with the country's most prominent ride-hailing platforms, including Bolt, Uber, and Yango. According to Mr. Kotey, the fraudulent documents were not confined to a single service provider but were prevalent across all major platforms. This suggests a widespread circumvention of standard licensing procedures, where individuals are operating commercial vehicles without the requisite training or legal authorization. The CEO emphasized that the sheer volume of fake licenses indicates a sophisticated network of forgeries that poses a direct threat to road safety and the rule of law.
Beyond the immediate legal violations, the DVLA highlights the broader implications for the ride-hailing industry as it continues to expand in Ghana's major cities. The authority is now calling for a collaborative effort between government regulators and tech companies to sanitize the system. Mr. Kotey urged stakeholders to prioritize the safety of their clients by ensuring that every driver on their platform possesses a legitimate, DVLA-issued license. Failure to address these gaps could lead to stricter regulatory measures and potential sanctions for companies that fail to verify the credentials of their contractors adequately.
As the ride-hailing market evolves, the DVLA intends to ramp up its enforcement and verification exercises. This incident serves as a wake-up call for commuters to remain vigilant and for ride-hailing platforms to overhaul their onboarding processes. Moving forward, the authority plans to work more closely with the police and other security agencies to identify and prosecute individuals involved in the production and use of fraudulent licenses, ensuring that the transport sector remains safe and reliable for all Ghanaians.