On Wednesday, April 5, 2023, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) and the Ghana Police Service will begin a coordinated operation to remove all abandoned automobiles from the nation’s highways.
According to the authority, the abandonment of vehicles on roads is an offense under Clause 21 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) of the 1992 Constitution.
In a release sighted by GhanaWeb, the NRSA added that owners or caretakers of vehicles abandoned on roads will be liable to a “summary conviction to a fine of not more than two hundred and fifty penalty units or to a term of imprisonment of not less than twelve months or to both”.
“The Authority announces for the notice of all owners of motor vehicles or trailers that with effect from 5th April 2023, the Authority, will liaise with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, to compulsorily remove or cause the removal of any broken-down motor vehicle or trailer left on a roadway or in a circumstance that poses danger, or that is likely to cause an accident or injury to any other person using the road, to a safer location and surcharge the owner or person in charge of the motor vehicle or trailer with the cost of removal and storage for immediate payment prior to release of the motor vehicle or trailer to the owner or person in charge in accordance with Regulation 102 (1) and(l0) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180),” parts of the release read.
The authority, therefore, urged the public to take the needed steps to remove their abandoned vehicles from the road to avoid losing them or being fined.