No decision on towing service yet - Ministry of Transport
The Ministry of Transport has stated that it has not taken any decision on the commencement of the towing services.
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A statement issued yesterday by the ministry said: “No decision has been taken yet on the commencement of the towing services.”
It said the ministry was engaged in consultations with various stakeholders, including the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, whose recommendations had just been received by the ministry.
The statement said the views of all stakeholders would be considered for an informed decision to be made on the matter.
The statement added that the ministry’s decision would be communicated to the public, and expressed the hope that it would receive cooperation from the public.
Recent developments
Recent publications that the Parliamentary Committee on Roads and Transport had recommended to the government to go ahead with the contract it signed with a private company for the towing of vehicles that had broken down and had been abandoned on the roads generated a lot of public debate.
The Chairman of the committee, Mr Samuel Ayeh-Paye, told journalists that the execution of the contract, signed in 2016, would ensure that such vehicles were cleared from the roads to ensure the safety of motorists.
The government, acting through the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC), signed the agreement with the Roads Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSC) on October 16, 2016 for the towing of abandoned vehicles.
The road map for the implementation of the project is contained in the Road Traffic Regulation, 2012 (L.I. 2180).
Mr Ayeh-Paye said the committee had held discussions with stakeholders in the transport sector before arriving at such decision.
While some people feel that the towing contract is a good concept, others including pressure groups and some political parties have kicked against the concept.
The towing levy which should have commenced on July 1, 2017, was postponed by the government following public agitations against the towing service.