Prime News Ghana

Towing companies dissatisfied with gov'ts pay-as-you-tow scheme

By Maame Aba Afful
Towing companies unhappy with new directive
Towing companies unhappy with new directive
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Some towing service providers are kicking against government’s directive to replace the mandatory towing levy with a pay-as-you-tow scheme.

Senior Minister Yaw Osafo Marfo yesterday announced that government has decided vehicle owners will be henceforth charged individually for the cost of towing their vehicles. He, therefore, directed the towing companies to register with the Transport ministry to begin work.

“We want a situation where those who are capable and equipped to provide this service are properly registered, their locations known and are authorized by law to tow the vehicles”, the minister said.

The towing service companies are however unhappy, saying that they lose a lot of profit when individual vehicle owners refuse to pay them after their vehicles have been towed.

The nine road towing companies that participated in the meeting yesterday said the pay-as-you-tow scheme is not practicable because some vehicle owners refuse to pay after services are rendered. They argued that it will work better if government gives them a legal backing to tow vehicles along the roads and assure them that their monies will be paid after the service is rendered.

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CEO of Ruttchen trucks Ghana, Evans Dzide in an interview on JoyNews said “The issue now is financing the towing service; the Ghana police service is almost turning into a scrap yard because some vehicle owners will not pay for the service and have abandoned their vehicles”.

He explained that government in reviewing the law, must provide a legal backing for such vehicles to be removed in order to save lives.

“If we will be assured we are going to be paid, we will do the job”, he added.

Another towing service provider cited an example where a car owner refused to allow him remove his damaged vehicle which caused accidents and blocked roads.

“There have also been instances where we tow vehicles to police stations but come back to find them missing with the police in charge telling stories; in those cases, we lose money, how do we pay our personnel and maintain our towing vehicles as well?” he lamented.

In response, the National road safety commission director, May Obiri Yeboah said consultations on the amendment and review of the law will begin soon adding that stakeholders will be informed when the review is ready and their advice sought for.

Meanwhile, government has directed the police service to work with the towing companies to clear all broken down vehicles from the roads.

Read also:  "Don't invent a new towing law"-Yaw Osafo Marfo

Transport Ministry to meet towing companies today

www.primenewsghana.com/ Ghana News