A legal battle has been initiated at the High Court in Accra over the registration, licensing and insurance of Toyota Voxy and Noah vehicles in Ghana, with a road safety advocate seeking to halt their operation pending a government policy directive.

The plaintiff, Osei Kwabena Esq., has sued the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the National Insurance Commission (NIC), arguing that the continued registration and insurance of converted right-hand drive (RHD) Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles are unlawful and pose serious safety risks to the public.

The lawsuit follows growing concerns over road crashes involving Toyota Voxy and Noah vehicles, which prompted the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) in February to establish a technical committee to investigate the safety and operational suitability of the vehicles.

In his statement of claim, filed through his lawyer, Yeboah Osei-Kwabena Esq. of Lartey, Badombie & Co., the plaintiff is seeking a declaration that the registration, licensing and issuance of Road Use Certificates for Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles without compliance with Section 58 of the Customs Act, 2015 (Act 891), Regulation 19(1) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) and standards prescribed by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) are unlawful, null and void.

He is also praying the court to grant a perpetual injunction restraining the DVLA and NIC, together with their officers and agents, from registering, licensing, insuring or permitting the operation of converted RHD-to-LHD Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles until the Ministry of Transport issues a White Paper or policy directive based on the report of a Technical Working Group (TWG).

According to the plaintiff, Toyota Voxy and Noah vehicles are manufactured by Toyota Tsusho Corporation exclusively in right-hand drive configuration for the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM), with no factory-produced left-hand drive versions.

He contends that all Toyota Voxy and Noah vehicles currently operating in Ghana as left-hand drive vehicles have been structurally converted either locally or abroad.

The statement of claim further states that Toyota Tsusho Corporation has consistently declined requests to undertake such conversions, citing safety concerns and the absence of internationally recognised certification for the modified vehicles.

The plaintiff also argues that the importation of the vehicles breaches Section 58 of the Customs Act, which prohibits the importation of right-hand steering vehicles into Ghana without the approval of the Minister responsible for Transport.

He maintains that the Ministry of Transport has not granted any written approval for the importation of converted Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles.

The suit further references Regulation 19 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012, which requires vehicle owners to obtain prior approval from the licensing authority before modifying a motor vehicle and to notify the authority after such modifications have been carried out.

According to the plaintiff, despite these legal requirements, the DVLA has failed to subject converted vehicles to enhanced technical inspections before registering and licensing them.

He also accuses the Ghana Standards Authority of failing to prescribe technical standards and codes of practice governing the conversion of right-hand drive vehicles to left-hand drive specifications.

In addition, the plaintiff alleges that the National Road Safety Authority has failed to enforce Regulations 75 and 76 of the NRSA Regulations, 2022 (L.I. 2468), which require road-related service providers, including vehicle conversion businesses, to be registered and regulated.

He argues that these regulatory lapses have created an environment where unsafe vehicle conversion practices continue unchecked, exposing motorists and passengers to unnecessary danger.

The plaintiff further contends that despite the absence of a policy directive from the Ministry of Transport, the DVLA continues to register and issue Road Use Certificates for converted Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles, while the NIC continues to approve insurance policies for such vehicles.

He maintains that these actions violate existing laws and expose the travelling public to grave and irreparable harm, including the risk of death or serious injury.

Consequently, Osei Kwabena has filed an application for an interlocutory injunction seeking to restrain the defendants from registering, licensing, insuring or permitting the operation of converted Toyota Voxy/Noah vehicles pending the final determination of the case.

The application is expected to be heard by the High Court on August 13, 2026.

SOURCE: THE CHRONICLES