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The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has declared the Toyota Voxy unfit for commercial passenger transport in Ghana, warning that anyone using the vehicle for such purposes is operating outside the law. The decision follows a technical report presented on April 8, 2026, after months of investigation into the vehicle’s growing involvement in road crashes and safety concerns linked to right-hand drive to left-hand drive conversions.
According to the report, the first major concern is the vehicle’s engineering integrity. The manufacturer confirmed that the Toyota Voxy and Noah models are produced exclusively for the Japanese domestic market and are not manufactured in left-hand drive versions. The company also stated that it has never approved conversions from right-hand drive to left-hand drive because of safety concerns. Despite this, a large number of these conversions are carried out locally in Ghana, often by uncertified artisans using informal methods that involve major structural modifications to the dashboard, steering, wiring systems, and suspension. These changes directly affect braking, steering, and electrical safety systems, increasing the risk to passengers.
The second reason cited is the vehicle’s unsuitability for commercial transport. The NRSA noted that the Toyota Voxy was designed as a family minivan for private use and not for high-mileage passenger transport. Officials explained that the vehicle’s lower ground clearance and passenger-grade tyres make it unsuitable for long-distance travel and rough road conditions compared to purpose-built commercial vehicles such as the Toyota HiAce.
The third issue relates to regulatory compliance. The investigation found that the importation of right-hand drive vehicles without ministerial approval breaches the Customs Act. The report also highlighted failures in enforcement by agencies including the DVLA, Ghana Standards Authority, NRSA, and the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), which allowed converted vehicles to be registered and operated commercially without the required inspections and certifications.
The final concern is crash data and accident trends. While Voxy-related crashes account for a relatively small percentage nationally, the NRSA found that the vehicle’s crash impact is significantly high in certain regions. The authority also linked some accidents to unrealistic daily sales targets imposed on drivers, which encourage speeding and reckless driving.
As part of its recommendations, the NRSA has called for immediate enforcement of laws against right-hand drive imports, stricter inspection of converted vehicles, registration of certified conversion workshops, and limiting existing commercial Voxy operations to intra-city use only.
