The Modern Development Management Corporation (MDMC) has filed a writ of prohibition with the Supreme Court of Liberia, seeking to immediately halt Liberia Traffic Management (LTM) from conducting vehicle registration and driver's license operations.
MDMC asserts that it holds an exclusive nine-year contract with the Ministry of Transport for these services and cites a 2021 Civil Law Court ruling affirming its rights. Since LTM later withdrew its appeal, MDMC maintains that the judgment is now final and binding.
The company also references the Government's 2026 National Budget, which officially recognizes the Ministry of Transport as the authorized body for vehicle registration and driver licensing. The Supreme Court's decision could determine whether LTM must step aside or continue operations, potentially setting an important precedent for contract enforcement and government authority in Liberia.
A conference has been scheduled at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 27, 2026, before Associate Justice Yussif D. Kaba at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia. MDMC, represented by CEO John S. Youboty Sr., is petitioning the Court to halt LTM's ongoing operations, citing its exclusive authority under the valid Ministry of Transport contract.
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This legal challenge comes amid sweeping reforms ordered by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, directing that all driver's license and vehicle registration functions be transferred from the Ministry of Transport to Liberia Traffic Management Incorporated (LTMI) effective March 1, 2026.
The reforms, announced in a February 16 directive signed by Samuel A. Stevquoah, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, have been described as one of the most significant overhauls of Liberia's transport governance in decades. According to the directive:
"All operations within the Ministry of Transport connected to the issuance of driver's licenses and vehicle registration will be closed and severed as of March 1, 2026, with the Inspectorate Division remaining the Ministry's sole operational responsibility."
This transition clears the way for LTMI to assume full responsibility for driver licensing, vehicle registration, and related services under the existing Concession Agreement.
The handover follows years of disputes between LTMI and the Ministry of Transport over a 25-year concession agreement signed in September 2018 with LTM, a U.S.-owned company tasked with modernizing Liberia's traffic services. Although ratified by the Legislature in December 2018, the agreement stalled for several years before the Boakai administration reactivated it in 2025, triggering nationwide implementation and public scrutiny.
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Lawmakers have raised concerns over national security and data sovereignty, particularly regarding foreign control of sensitive transport and licensing records. The Executive Branch, however, maintains that the March 1 transition is legally mandated and essential to stabilize service delivery while institutional reviews continue.
Under the new framework, LTMI will exclusively manage driver's license issuance and vehicle registration, with the Ministry's Inspectorate Division retaining only inspection responsibilities. Public attention now turns to how the handover will be executed and whether outstanding legal and security issues will be fully resolved.
