Over 2,000 Govt Vehicles Given New Numbers

More than 2,000 government vehicles have been re-registered by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) from January this year.

Under the government vehicles re-registration exercise, which began in January this year, vehicles from about 10 ministries, departments and agencies have been registered.

The vehicles have their number plates changed into a green background, a GV prefix, the year of registration and a code identifying the ministry, department or agency to which they belong.

Some of the ministries are the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Youth and Sports, the Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Ministry of Environment Science and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Tourism.
Background

The government vehicle registration exercise is in response to a directive by President John Dramani Mahama that all state vehicles be re-registered to ensure a judicious application of government funds.

Overall 15,000 vehicles are expected to be registered at an estimated cost of GH¢1.5 million. There are currently 25 ministries and 10 regional co-ordinating councils.

The exercise, expected to be completed in May this year, will be carried out in all offices of the DVLA across the country and will cover vehicles belonging to the ministries, departments, agencies (whether on government budget subvention or not), regional co-ordinating councils and metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.

The re-registration has become necessary following what has been described as gross abuse of state vehicles, particularly at weekends, for events including funerals and weddings.
Smooth process

In an interview, the Deputy Director of Vehicle Inspection and Registration, Alhaji Iddrisu Huseni, said the exercise had so far been smooth and safe without any challenges.

“We already have the data of the various ministries, including their departments, agencies and the fleet of vehicles so we have already assigned their numbers,” he said.

He said every ministry, department and agency, as well as metropolitan, municipal and district assembly, under the various ministries also had special codes for easy identification.

He explained that although the exercise was divided into phases, the DVLA was currently working on both the first and second phases, since some of the agencies and departments in the first phase were still bringing their vehicles for registration.

Alhaji Huseni added that the process for the registration was not rigid to restrict the departments and agencies from registering if they were not from a particular ministry under a particular phase.