Don’t resurrect tow levy, it won’t happen – Nduom

The 2016 flagbearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, has said he will oppose attempts by any group of people to resurrect the mandatory tow levy.

According to him, he has picked intelligence that “some people are busying themselves behind the scenes to resurrect the mandatory towing levy” but “they must know that some citizens are also wide awake waiting to spring into action to oppose it”.

In a Facebook post, Dr Nduom said he supports efforts to tow vehicles away from the streets and highways and charge the offending vehicle owners for it “but as for paying a mandatory towing Levy, it won't happen!”

Government cancelled the mandatory towing levy after a section of Ghanaians strongly opposed its implementation.

The policy would have imposed a mandatory fee on all vehicle owners in the country.

This was to help a towing company tow broken down vehicles from the roads across the country to help ensure traffic safety and reduce accidents.

A statement from the Transport Ministry announcing the cancellation of the contract said: “The government has decided not to implement the mandatory towing levy which was scheduled to have commenced on 1 July 2017.

“This follows extensive consultation between the Minister of Transport and stakeholders in the transport sector.”

The statement signed by Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, noted that: “Upon consultations and consequent to the calls, government has decided to seek a review of parts of the laws specifically to achieve the following objective; removal from the law, the concept of a mandatory towing levy on all owners and persons in charge of motor vehicles and trailers.”

In 2012, parliament passed the Legislative Instrument 2180 [ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATIONS, 2012]which in regulation 102 [3], imposes a mandatory levy on all owners and persons in charge of motor vehicles, for the purpose of towing broken down or disabled vehicles from Ghana’s roads.