Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday, October 2, 2025, the minister said that no vehicle should be issued a roadworthy certificate unless it has undergone a thorough inspection and meets safety standards.

“As a government, we will need to sit down on getting rickety cars off the roads. I have had conversations with the DVLA that any vehicle that is not inspected properly should not be given a roadworthy certificate. But it goes beyond them. The police should come in and be able to take out that vehicle as well,” he said.

Mr. Nipke cautioned against the activities of middlemen, popularly known as “goro boys,” who facilitate the acquisition of roadworthy certificates for vehicles without proper inspection.

He said the government is expanding DVLA offices across the country to improve access and eliminate such practices.

“DVLA should not give a roadworthy certificate to any vehicle when they have not seen it. If they have seen it and it is not roadworthy, it should not be certified,” he added.

On the government’s role, the transport minister disclosed that plans are underway to inject more vehicles into state-run transport services to reduce dependence on unsafe vehicles.

“We should take it upon ourselves as a government to bring in more vehicles to support Metro Mass Transport, STC and others to be able to service more people. If they have the alternatives, they will not be moved to enter those rickety cars,” Mr. Nipke stated.