The National Roads and Highways Authority (NRSA) is set to roll out a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that will require all vehicle owners in Ghana to subscribe to a registered towing service or insurance package, as part of renewed efforts to improve road safety.

Managing Director of the NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, made this known during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, April 30.

The initiative, which forms part of a broader legal framework that also includes the formalisation of commercial motorbike (Okada) operations, is aimed at reducing the number of abandoned vehicles on major roads—a growing menace that contributes to heavy traffic congestion and endangers motorists.

“There is a variant of the towing law that was introduced but was later suspended. The new development will ensure that vehicle owners must subscribe to a towing company or insurance," Amaliba said. "

"The earlier one that was introduced had a monopoly concern in the collection of the towing fee, but the new thinking, which will be in the Okada legalisation L.I, will see to it that when the law is passed, every owner must subscribe to the towing company or insurance company so that when your vehicle breaks down, you just call your subscriber to come to your aid.”

He emphasized that any vehicle owner who fails to comply with the new directive would face penalties.

“They will require that when you fail to do that, the NRSA will come in and tow the vehicle but you will be surcharged for that. When that is passed, it will reduce the incidents of vehicles breaking down on the roads because as it stands, it appears there is no regulation in that regard,” he explained.

To ensure fairness and effectiveness, Amaliba noted that only certified towing service providers will be authorized under the new regulation.

“We will certify some towing services for road users to subscribe to,” he added.

The proposed legal measure seeks to replace an earlier attempt at implementing a national towing service, which was suspended due to concerns over centralized control and unfair fee structures.