Omanghana
The National Road Safety Authority has announced that disabled or abandoned vehicles left on public roads will be compulsorily removed and could eventually be auctioned if their owners fail to reclaim them.
Kwame Koduah Attuahene, the NRSA Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance, announced the measures during 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 requirements, every vehicle owner in Ghana must subscribe to a recognised towing service provider or obtain a motor insurance policy that includes towing coverage.
The measure is intended to ensure that motorists can arrange the immediate removal of their vehicles whenever they become disabled or are involved in crashes.
The updated regulations have abolished the previous grace period, which allowed broken-down vehicles to remain on the road for between 30 minutes and one hour before removal.
Vehicle owners and drivers are now legally required to arrange for disabled vehicles to be towed immediately. The NRSA said the change is necessary because even a brief delay in removing a stationary vehicle can create a serious danger, particularly at night or on high-speed roads.
When a vehicle breaks down, the driver must place an advance warning triangle at an appropriate distance to alert approaching motorists. The owner or driver must then contact the designated towing company and notify either the police or the NRSA.
The towing company will remove the vehicle and transport it to an approved storage facility. Details of the vehicle, its location and the circumstances surrounding its removal are expected to be documented.
Owners will have seven days to reclaim their vehicles and pay the applicable towing and storage charges.
If a vehicle is not collected within that period, the authorities will begin the legal process required to dispose of it through a court-sanctioned auction. A final seven-day notice will be issued to the owner before the auction takes place.
Under the outlined timeline, an unreclaimed vehicle could be auctioned after 21 days, subject to the completion of the required judicial procedures.
Where an auction is unsuccessful, the vehicle may be confiscated by the state and sent for scrapping or disposed of through another authorised process.
The NRSA said the regulations are designed to address the danger posed by abandoned, crashed and mechanically disabled vehicles on public roads.
Stationary vehicles without adequate warning signs are a major hazard to motorists, especially on poorly lit roads, sharp bends and sections where drivers travel at high speeds. They can also obstruct traffic, reduce visibility and contribute to secondary collisions.
The authority urged vehicle owners to confirm that their insurance policies include towing services or independently register with approved towing companies.
Motorists were also advised to keep the contact information of their towing service providers readily available and carry functional advance warning triangles in their vehicles.
The NRSA indicated that public education on Act 1153 and L.I. 2519 would continue to ensure drivers, transport operators, insurance companies and towing service providers understand their responsibilities.
The authority maintained that the prompt removal of disabled vehicles would improve traffic flow and help reduce preventable deaths and injuries on Ghana’s roads.
Source: Omanghana
Source: Omanghana
