The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has warned motorists that vehicles left abandoned on roads following breakdowns or crashes could be compulsorily towed and eventually auctioned if owners fail to reclaim them within the stipulated period.
The warning follows the implementation of new road traffic regulations requiring vehicle owners to subscribe to a towing service or obtain an insurance policy that includes towing cover.
The Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance at the NRSA, Kwame Koduah Attuahene, explained that motorists who fail to comply with the new requirements could have their vehicles towed at their own expense.
He said the new regulations have also removed the grace period previously allowed for motorists whose vehicles break down on the road.
According to him, once a vehicle becomes disabled, the owner is required to immediately arrange for it to be towed rather than leaving it on the road.
Mr. Attuahene said the previous regulations provided motorists with a 30-minute or one-hour grace period after a breakdown, but that provision no longer applies under the new rules.
He was speaking at a national sensitisation programme on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153) and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519).
Under the new regulations, motorists whose vehicles become disabled on the road are also required to place an advance warning triangle to alert other road users and immediately notify their towing service provider.
The towing company is then expected to notify the police or the NRSA and make arrangements for the vehicle to be removed from the road and taken to a designated storage facility.
Vehicles moved to storage facilities will initially be kept for up to seven days, within which period owners are expected to reclaim them.
The NRSA says the measures are aimed at preventing broken-down and accident-damaged vehicles from remaining on roads and creating additional hazards for other motorists and road users.
Mr. Attuahene reiterated that vehicle owners must comply with the new requirement by either subscribing to a towing service or purchasing an insurance policy that provides towing services.
The Authority says strict enforcement of the regulations is intended to improve road safety and ensure that disabled vehicles do not unnecessarily obstruct traffic or expose other road users to avoidable risks.
SOURCE: Myjoyonline.com
