Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the Vice President of Ghana and the 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), is calling for significant reforms in the country’s driver’s license renewal process as he proposes an eight-to-ten-year extension period for renewal.
Currently, unlike Ghanaian passports, which are renewed every ten years, driver’s licenses must be renewed every two years. This, according to Bawumia, is an unnecessary burden on drivers.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), responsible for ensuring good driving standards and the use of roadworthy vehicles, mandates that all driver’s license holders renew or validate their licenses every two years from the date of issue. This requirement has led to frequent confrontations between drivers, DVLA officials, and police officers, with many drivers facing harassment over the non-renewal of their licenses.
Dr. Bawumia has expressed concern over the inconvenience caused by this policy and is advocating for an extension of the renewal period. He argues that the current system is outdated and unnecessarily stressful for motorists, who have to endure the hassle of frequent renewals. He believes that a longer renewal period, such as eight or ten years, would be more practical and beneficial for drivers.
Remarks by the Vice President of Ghana, Dr Bawumia
He made these remarks speaking to chiefs and other stakeholders at Boadua in the Akwatia Constituency of the Eastern Region,
Drivers are here. Today, the driver’s license expires every two years. Let us extend it, be it 8 years or 10 years. Let us make sure you can have a driver’s license without having to renew it every year. It does not make sense, and so by the grace of God, we would make changes, he said.
