NRSA to Close Garages Carrying Out Illegal Left-to-Right Steering Conversions
- The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) is shutting down garages that illegally convert right-hand-drive vehicles to left-hand drive
- The NRSA's Technical Working Committee flagged converted Toyota Voxy vehicles as particularly dangerous.
- Authorities, including Customs, the Ghana Standards Authority, the DVLA, and the Police MTTD, will enforce compliance
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The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has moved to close down garages that convert right-hand-drive vehicles to left-hand drive.
According to the NRSA, this practice is illegal and poses serious road safety concerns.
Source: UGC
In a report by GhanaWeb, the Director-General of the NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, said it also posed significant risks to passengers and other road users.
"It's an illegality. The law doesn't allow that in the first place. We are going to close down those garages, and if people are still engaged in the practice, we will arrest them," he warned.
A publication by Myjoyonline on April 9, 2026, indicated that a Technical Working Committee set up by the NRSA submitted its final report on Wednesday, April 8, 2026.
The report said the Technical Working Committee highlighted Toyota Voxy vehicles imported as right-hand-drive and later converted as being very dangerous.
Abraham Amaliba said the NRSA will officially notify Customs, the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the DVLA, and the Police MTTD to use the committee's report to enforce compliance.
He added that the NRSA also plans to engage transport operators in the coming days as part of its nationwide effort to clamp down on the vehicle conversion ecosystem.
Ghana bans Toyota Voxy for commercial transport
Meanwhile, the National Road Safety Authority has banned the use of Toyota Voxy vehicles for commercial transport.
The Government has cited safety concerns linked to their design and illegal modifications.
This directive follows an investigation into the growing use of the Voxy minivan as public transport, particularly after being converted from right-hand drive to left-hand drive.
Presenting the committee’s final report in Accra on Wednesday, April 8, the Chairman, Godwin Kafui Ayetor, described the situation as a major threat to passenger safety.
“The manufacturer informed us that the Toyota Voxy is a minivan designed for young middle-class families, not for commercial passenger use. In other words, it is not designed for high mileage and is intended for use on paved roads."
Ayetor noted that the vehicle’s limitations become more pronounced when deployed for long-distance or rough terrain operations, adding that more robust alternatives exist for such purposes.
The committee found that many of the Voxy vehicles have undergone extensive structural modifications.
These include changes to suspension systems by unlicensed operators.
The committee also noted regulatory failings that have seen the Voxy vehicles illegally imported because they are originally right hand vehicles, which are not allowed into Ghana.
Existing Toyota Voxy safety concerns
The Toyota Voxy cars had started to raise eyebrows in the past year because of its perception of being dangerous on the road.
A Ghanaian Toyota Voxy driver previously opened up on what he believes is the real cause behind the increasing number of road accidents involving the notorious vehicle.
He did not believe the car was inherently dangerous. Instead, he pointed to human factors and poor maintenance as the real issues.
One of the key issues he highlighted in a TikTok video was the use of worn-out tyres
Source: TikTok
Ghanaian mechanic laments poor Toyota Voxy conversions
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that a Ghanaian auto mechanic, Adu Philip, raised concerns about the safety of some converted Toyota Voxy vehicles after inspecting one brought to his workshop.
He pointed out that the hydraulic brake lines had been wrongly twisted and straightened during the steering conversion process, which could affect the braking.
Philip stressed that the issue was not the Toyota Voxy itself, but rather poor workmanship during the left-to-right steering conversion done by some artisans in Ghana.
Source: YEN.com.gh
