The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, has defended the Authority’s decision to clamp down on garages that convert right-hand-drive vehicles to left-hand drive, describing the practice as illegal and a serious threat to road safety.
His comments follow the submission of a final report by a Technical Working Committee in Accra on April 8, 2026. The report concluded that Toyota Voxy models—often imported as right-hand-drive vehicles and subsequently modified—pose what it described as “an unacceptable risk” to passengers and other road users.
Chairman of the committee, Godwin Kafui Ayetor, explained that the vehicle was originally designed for private family use rather than commercial transport. He added that structural alterations, including suspension changes and the use of unsuitable tyres, further heighten safety concerns.
Mr Amaliba stressed that such conversions violate existing laws and compromise vehicle safety standards. He warned that the NRSA would shut down garages engaged in the practice and arrest individuals who continue to carry out the modifications.
“It’s an illegality. The law doesn’t allow that in the first place,” he said, reaffirming the Authority’s commitment to enforcement.
He further disclosed that the NRSA will formally notify key state institutions—including the Ghana Revenue Authority Customs Division, Ghana Standards Authority, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department—and attach the committee’s report to support coordinated action.
As part of broader efforts to address the issue, the NRSA is also expected to engage transport operators next week in what Mr Amaliba described as a nationwide “crusade” to sanitise the vehicle conversion ecosystem.
