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Petition on why President Akufo-Addo should not allow the flat towing charges

Petition on why President Akufo-Addo should not allow the flat towing charges

The Roads and Transport Committee of Parliament on Tuesday gave the green light for the implementation of the mandatory towing levy beginning September 1, 2017 but the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers still thinks that the proposed flat towing charges should be halted or reviewed.

They have consequently sent a petition to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo asking him to take a personal interest in the "critical matter and intervene to halt this imminent implementation of an obviously unpopular policy by the National Road Safety Commission."

Among the concerns raised in the petition which was signed by Mr Duncan Amoah, Executive Secretary of the Chamber are that, the periodic fixed charge for vehicle owners to enjoy towing services for a year is unfair to owners who maintain their vehicle well and are unlikely to abandon their vehicle in the middle of the road within the year. “That raises the question of equity and fairness,” the petition said.

Again, the chamber thinks that owners and drivers of abandoned vehicles who refuse to use the services of the numerous towing companies already available from towing their vehicles on time be made to pay some extra fines instead for the irresponsibility and negligence or same be towed by the mandatory state agencies fully resourced to provide this service instead of the private player.

Read a copy of the petition dated June 15, 2017 below

PETITION FOR AN URGENT HALT OR REVIEW OF PROPOSED FLAT TOWING CHARGES EFFECTIVE 1ST OF JULY, 2017.

Ghanaians were on the 30th May, 2017 overwhelmed by the announcement of a proposed programme by the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) to implement LI2180 Of Parliament by slapping of flat charges on all vehicle and motor bike owners across the country effective 1st of July, 2017.

In as much as the Chamber agrees with the need to expedite the removal or towing of cars which have broken down on our various roads, we believe there is the need to completely revise this impending policy.

CONCERNS OF THE YET TO BE IMPLEMENTED TOWING POLICY:

1. Punitive policy to the generality of the public for the offence of a few.
2. Will constitute additional cost to road transport operators and the commuting public
3. Unlikely to solve road safety issue as more and more vehicles are likely to be left abandoned on our roads with the expectation of a free towing.
4. Resourcing of a private towing player instead of applying same resources to the appropriate state agencies mandated to ensure abandoned vehicles are moved to safety.
5. Centralization of towing system through a private player to the disadvantage of other towing operators.

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF INTENDED POLICY
1. SURCHARGING OF THE GENERAL PUBLIC

This policy will invariably amount to a direct surcharge of the entire population for the apparent offence of just a few. Sanctions as provided in our existing laws which forbids road users to abandon vehicles in the middle of the road is rather been replaced with a mass surcharge of the generality of the public.

In effect this policy will encourage further lawlessness on Ghanaian roads as the sanctions that serves a deterrent for abandoning vehicles on our roads now gives way for mass sanctioning of all road users both directly and indirectly. which were to be meted on road users who do not take time and resource to maintain their vehicles, which leads to rampant breakdown of vehicles is rather shifted to the public to bear.

This new extortionist policy certainly attempts to cure the symptoms rather than substantive issue. We believe that vehicle owners need to take full responsibilities for the maintenance and ensuring their vehicles are in good condition and road worthy at all times.

Drivers and owners of broken down vehicles bear individual responsibility for same and should not transferred directly to all other vehicle owners.

Vehicle owners who fall foul of abandoning their vehicles be surcharged on the spot to pay for towing services rendered to them instead of the fee mandatory payment for everybody who owns a vehicle.

2. ADDITIONAL COSTS TO THE MOTORING PUBLIC

The discussion of having only transport owners pay directly for mandatory towing services falls flat from onset as transport operators have indicated their preparedness to pay but will offload same to the commuting public thereby lending credence to the fact the generality of the public is going to be directly affected by this new policy It is evidently clear that this policy will constitute additional cost to consumers who patronized public and commercial transport system.

These charges would put further burden on the operations and cost of commercial transport owners who will invariably pass same onto the commuting public to pay. This will indeed affect the economy and increase cost of living in the country. Vehicle owners are expected to cough up some additional monies whenever they are registering a new car or go for road worthy renewal from Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).

3. UNLIKELY TO SOLVE THE ROAD SAFETY ISSUE AS MORE AND MORE VEHICLES ARE LIKELY TO BE LEFT ABANDONED IN ANTICIPATION OF A FREE TOWING

The issue of keeping our roads safe is one that is dear to every Ghanaian, discipline on our roads however hold the key to achieving this result. A mandatory towing fee system with the view to providing towing freely subsequently can only go a long way to further contribute to irresponsibility on the part of the few who do not care about the condition or servicing of their vehicles.

The need to properly maintain vehicles for our roads remains largely an individual responsility and should not be shirked in the name of collective sanctioning. With over two(2) million vehicles in Ghana currently, the tendency to have choked roads is not far-fetched if individual responsibility is not encouraged as opposed to a collective responsibility module this new policy whose yearly collection is expected to be over and above GH₵ 100 million is likely to serve as a cash cow for those behind it than necessarily curbing the act of recklessness on the part of drivers who abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road.

4. RESOURCING OF A PRIVATE PLAYER INSTEAD OF THE APPROPRIATE STATE AGENCIES MANDATED TO CARRY OUT TOWING ACROSS THE COUNTRY

It is our belief the state agencies mandated to undertake safety on our roads be provided the resources to run and deliver a proper road safety module that all Ghanaians can be proud of whiles the private player is encouraged to augment or compliment this proposed instead of relegating the state agencies to the background with the excuse; “they lack capacity”. Most well- meaning Ghanaians will clearly be happy to contribute to a national system that is efficiently run than pumping monies into the private operations of a private company who has no immediately proven track record or capacity to handle same.

5.THE CENTRALISATION/ DECENTRALIZATION OF TOWING SYSTEM

Drivers and Owners within a locality should be given the option to choose the towing operators with reasonable operational cost. Short code of operators should be accessible and easily contacted to tow broken down vehicles. It is our view that a policy of this nature should be in a form that would place the responsibility of removing such abandoned vehicles squarely on the shoulders of these operators whiles encouraging private investments in towing services across the country as first option to the road user even before the mandatory towing service provider is called upon.

OUR COMMON POSITION

1. From the foregone, it is evidently clear that an urgent and a comprehensive review be done to immediately facilitate the acquisition and effective operationalization of a comprehensive towing system by the state agencies instead of a private player module we are seeking to roll out.

There should be a state agency owned towing arrangement which is well resourced to manage the various highways whiles we encourage and resource the various metropolitan municipal and district assemblies to manage their road networks concerns remain high for a clear model policy that renders the service and payment made for same instead of the mass surcharging of all and sundry.

2. It is our belief that Ghanaian owners and drivers of abandoned vehicles who refuse to use the services of the numerous towing companies already available from towing their vehicles on time be made to pay some extra fines instead for the irresponsibility and negligence or same be towed by the mandatory state agencies fully resourced to provide this service instead of the private player.

3. There clearly arises a further need to embark on proper public education on the rights and responsibilities of all road users to encourage responsibility and discipline on our roads thereby helping encourage responsibility on our roads with the view to reducing the incidents of people abandoning their vehicles anywhere.

4. The argument of a periodic fixed charge for vehicle owners to enjoy towing services for a year is unfair to owners who maintain their vehicle well and are unlikely to abandon their vehicle in the middle of the road within the year. That raises the question of equity and fairness

It is our fervent hope that your Excellency, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will take a personal interest in this critical matter and intervene to halt this imminent implementation of an obviously unpopular policy by the National Road Safety Commission.

We count on your assistance and support in reviewing this policy properly.
Thank you.

For and on behalf of the Secretariat, Concerned Transport operators and other ordinary people of Ghana.

CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS
………………………………………………………
DUNCAN AMOAH
EXECUTIVE SECRETARY

 

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