Anti-corruption campaigner, Sydney Casely Hayford has described as unnecessary, the National Road Safety Commission’s planned mandatory towing fee for all motorists.
Speaking on ’s News Analysis and Current Affairs program, , Mr Casely Hayford suggested that the program is an unnecessary arrangement implemented on an individualistic basis to benefit only persons whose vehicles break down along the road.
“This is a totally unnecessary arrangement. I am not prepared to be forking out money so that someone who is careless enough to leave their truck by the roadside makes me pay for it to be towed. I pay my insurance as an individual person and if I have to make a claim on my insurance company, I go and make my claim,” he said.
Last month, National Road Safety Commission announced that effective July 1, 2017, vehicle owners and motorcyclists will be made to pay a compulsory annual fee, tied to the acquisition of road worthy certificate, to cater for towing services of disabled vehicles.
Following the announcement, many have criticized the decision, describing it is as unfair.
Others have suggested that the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) rather adopts ‘pay-as-you go’ service to allow disabled vehicles owners pay for the towing service.
Speaking on Citi FM’s News Analysis Programme, The Big Issue, Casley Hayford sided with those kicking against the move, saying his anti-corruption group, Occupy Ghana will take up the matter to “stop it,” if it is not scrapped.
“If it doesn’t get stopped, this is an Occupy Ghana fight. We will stop it. This is enabling a particular individual to benefit from us,” he told host of the show, Umaru Sanda Amadu
The Deputy Minority Leader, James Avedzi Klutse, had also backed calls for the implementation of a mandatory vehicle towing fee to be halted.
He had argued that since majority of Ghanaians who are targets of the program are kicking against it, it should be withdrawn.
“[The move should be suspended, since] the genuine and good citizens will be paying for recalcitrant citizens who do not want to obey the law…If it gets to the implementation and everybody is against it then it should be withdrawn,” he said.
But Roland Walker, the Communications and Marketing Manager for Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL), one of the five (5) companies awarded the contract to execute the program has defended the move, arguing that mandatory fees will protect road users from road accidents.
Under the program, drivers will be required to pay a road safety fee, ranging between GH¢ 10 and GH¢ 200, in addition to their road worthy certification fees.
Commercial vehicles and taxes will pay GH¢40, mini buses will pay GH¢80, while heavy duty trucks will pay between GH¢80 and GH¢200 annually, depending on their tonnage.
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(Via: CitiFM Online Ghana)
