The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) announced that vehicles abandoned on Ghanaian roads will now be auctioned if not promptly towed, a move aimed at reducing road hazards.
Under the new Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 and the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026, owners must either subscribe to a towing service or purchase an insurance policy that includes towing coverage. Failure to comply will result in the vehicle being compulsorily towed, with the cost borne by the owner.
“The law now requires that immediately you must have it towed,” said Kwame Koduah Attuahene, Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance at the NRSA. He noted that the previous 30‑minute or one‑hour grace period is abolished, and that motorists must place an advance warning triangle and notify their service provider when a vehicle becomes disabled.
Once towed, the vehicle is taken to a storage facility where the owner has seven days to reclaim it. If the owner does not act, the NRSA will initiate a judicial auction. Owners receive a seven‑day notice before the sale, and if the auction fails, the state may confiscate and scrap the vehicle.
Attuahene stressed that the new measures are designed to keep roads safer by ensuring disabled or crashed vehicles are removed quickly. “All of this is to ensure that we comply with the basic rule, which is that you must either subscribe or get a policy,” he said.
Motorists are urged to review their insurance policies and consider a towing subscription to avoid costly penalties and potential loss of their vehicle.
