• Ghana’s DVLA will introduce a UK-style penalty points system for drivers, CEO Julius Neequaye Kotey tells Pulse Ghana.

• Drivers who lose all their points will be required to return to driving school, while unused points can be carried over.

• The pilot phase of Ghana’s new digital vehicle number plates will begin in mid-August 2026.

The announcement was made by the Chief Executive Officer of the DVLA, Julius Neequaye Kotey, in an interview with Pulse Ghana.

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According to Mr Kotey, every licensed driver will initially be allocated 20 penalty points each year under the proposed system, although discussions are ongoing within the Authority over whether the allocation should be increased to 40 points.

He explained that points would be deducted whenever motorists commit traffic offences such as reckless driving, speeding or running red lights. Drivers who exhaust all their points would be required to return to driving school for further training.

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He said:

Explaining how the system would work, Mr Kotey added:

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He also revealed that motorists who do not use all their allocated points would be allowed to carry the remaining balance into the following year.

Mr Kotey said the proposed system is intended to promote responsible driving and reduce road crashes by holding motorists more accountable for traffic violations.

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Beyond the proposed penalty points system, the DVLA CEO confirmed that the pilot phase of Ghana’s new digital vehicle number plate system will commence in mid-August 2026, beginning with government-owned vehicles before the nationwide rollout.

The UK’s driving licence penalty points system, which Ghana’s model is expected to mirror, assigns points based on the seriousness of traffic offences. Minor speeding offences typically attract three points, while more serious offences, including dangerous driving, can result in 11 or more points. Drivers who accumulate 12 or more points within three years are generally disqualified from driving under the UK’s “totting-up” rules, while newly qualified drivers face even stricter limits.

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The proposed reforms form part of the DVLA’s broader digital transformation agenda aimed at improving road safety, strengthening enforcement and modernising vehicle and driver licensing in Ghana.