The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPECGH) has urged the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to suspend the proposed towing charges expected to be levied on vehicles.
COPECGH said on Wednesday May 31 that the new charges require that private vehicle owners pay GHS20 annually, while commercial vehicles and taxis get charged GHS40; motorbikes will pay GHS10, mini buses GHS80 while trucks are charged between GHS80 and GHS200 depending on tonnage.
“These charges for an initial concept might seem ignoble and paltry but will sure become a further burden on the operations and cost of commercial transport owners who will invariably pass same unto the commuting public to pay in the not too-distant future,” Executive Secretary of COPECGH Duncan Amoah indicated in a press release.
COPECGH believes “in effect, though it’s applicable on paper to only vehicle owners, the entire population who depend on public and commercial transport systems for their daily activities will end up paying for same”.
The chamber further stated that any charges are supposed to be sanctioned by parliament and called for a proper review to determine the cost to vehicle owners.
COPEC said by the statement it was “serving notice that together with the Ghana Truck Operators Association, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the General Transport and Petroleum Workers Union and other notable organisations will fiercely resist any such extortionist attempts to force such insensitive charges down the throats of vehicle owners and by extension the general public without a thorough and proper review of same instead of this current proposed wholesale approach”.
Below is the full statement:
CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS
REVIEW OR HALT PROPOSED FLAT TOWING CHARGES IMMEDIATELY
The chamber takes a very serious notice of an announcement of a proposed programme by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to slap a flat charge on all vehicle owners across the country effective 1st of July 2017.
Per this new programme; The various categories of vehicle owners are expected to cough up some additional monies whenever they are registering a new car or go for road worthy renewal from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
The new programme puts a charge of GHS20 on all private vehicle owners, GHS40 on commercial vehicles and taxis, motorbikes will pay GHS10, mini buses will pay GHS80 whiles trucks are charged between GHS80- GHS 200 depending on tonnage.
These charges for an initial concept might seem ignoble and paltry but will sure become a further burden on the operations and cost of commercial transport owners who will invariably pass same unto the commuting public to pay in the not too distant future.
In effect though its applicable on paper to only vehicle owners, the entire population who depend on public and commercial transport systems for their daily activities will end up paying for same.
Whiles admitting abandoned vehicles on our roads pose a huge risk and challenge which sometimes result in fatal accidents, one would expect that these vehicle owners and their drivers who engage in such practices be surcharged for the towing of same, the new programme is seeking to rather punish everyone for the apparent negligence of these reckless few who abandon their vehicles anywhere anytime.
As is mainly the practice in most parts of the world, sanctions do apply strictly to such persons who abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road but the reverse seems the case the case with this new policy.
The structure of this new extortionist policy certainly attempts to cure the symptoms rather than the substantive issue. Sanctions to those specific road users who do not take any time or resources to to maintenance on their vehicles thereby leading to such rampant breakdowns of these vehicles is rather sublty being shifted to the public to bear.
With over 2 million vehicles in Ghana currently, this new policy whose yearly collections is expected to be over and above Ghc100 million is simply going to serve as a cash cow for those behind this and not neccesarily cure the problem of having some reckless drivers abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road.
We are by this serving notice, that the chamber together with the Ghana Truck Operators Association, the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), the General Transport and Petroleum Workers Union and other notable organisations will fiercely resist any such extortionist attempts to force such insensitive charges down the throats of vehicle owners and by extension the general public without a thorough and proper review of same instead of this current proposed wholesale approach.
We also use this opportunity to remind the National Road Safety Commission it can only apply such taxes only with due approval by the parliament of Ghana.
Thank you.
Signed
Duncan Amoah
Executive Secretary
Copec Ghana
Cc:
Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU)
Industrial and Commercial Workers Union (ICU)
Association of Ghana Industries (AGI)
General Transport and Petroleum Workers Union (GTPWU)
Ghana Truck Operators Association
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
