Drivers and owners of broken-down vehicles and trailers that are towed by authorities have seven days to pay for the surcharge fees. Failure to do so will see the contents of the trailer or the vehicle itself auctioned, as per the Amended Road Traffic Regulations, 2017.
The regulation, which is yet to be sent to Parliament, dedicates that the drivers and vehicle owners must “immediately” tow their broken vehicles off the road. If they fail to do so, then the city authority will do that at a cost. The drivers have up to seven days to pay for the cost of towing their vehicles, or risk losing their vehicles in a auction.
It is recalled that the government suspended the implementation of the compulsory towing service levy, following public outcry.
However, the Bill has been amended and is yet to be presented to Parliament for consideration.
Portions of the amended regulations, intercepted by Accra100.5FM states: “Where the broken down motor vehicle or trailer is compulsorily towed by the Police or Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly or an authorized service provider, the owner or person in charge of the motor vehicle or trailer shall be surcharged with the cost of towing the prescribed fee for the storage and shall in addition pay a penalty as follows:
(a) For cars with engine capacity of not more than two thousand cubic centimeters, one hundred penalty units;
(b) For cars with engine capacity of two thousand cubic centimeters and above two thousand cubic centimeters, one hundred and fifty penalty units
(c) For buses and coaches, two hundred and fifty penalty units; and
(d) For trucks, four hundred penalty units.
“(6) Where the surcharge payable is not paid within thirty days, the motor vehicle or trailer with its cargo or portions of its cargo shall be sold by public auction at a reserved price which shall not be less than the liabilities arising out of this regulation in respect of the motor vehicle or trailer.
“(7) A notice of the sale shall be published
(a) in the Gazette;
(b) at least in one daily newspaper or national circulation for a period of not less than ten days before the sale, unless the goods are of a perishable nature which in the opinion of the Police or Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly may render an immediate sale necessary or advisable, and accordingly the notice shall be for a duration that the urgency of the case requires.
“(8)Where the auction is unsuccessful and there is no buyer for the motor vehicle or trailer or its content or both the motor vehicle or trailer and its content, the contents shall be destroyed in public and the motor vehicle or trailer shall be sold as a scrap.
“If an owner of a motor vehicle or trailer, or a person in charge of a motor vehicle or trailer, whose motor vehicle or trailer breaks down or is involved in an accident on a roadway, shall immediately ensure its removal.
“An owner of a motor vehicle or trailer or a person in charge of motor vehicle or trailer which has broken down, or has been involved in an accident on a roadway who permits the motor vehicle or trailer to remain on the roadway commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine or not less than fifty penalty units and not more than one hundred and fifty penalty units, or to a term of imprisonment of not less than three months and not more than twelve months or to both.
“Where a broken down motor vehicle or trailer is left on a roadway or left in circumstances that constitutes a danger of death or injury to any other person using the road, the police or a Metropolitan, Municipal or District Assembly shall compulsorily tow or authorise a service provider to tow the motor vehicle or trailer to a designated parking depot.”
Source:Ghana/AccraFM.com
