The Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU) has formally challenged a clause in the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) that permits authorities to auction vehicles left at designated holding areas for 21 days after they have been towed from the road. The union argues that the rule could inflict significant financial losses on commercial transport operators who may be forced to lose their vehicles without recourse.
Deputy Public Relations Officer Samuel Amoah told a Citi FM interview that while the union supports the immediate removal of broken‑down vehicles from roads, it believes owners should be allowed to reclaim their vehicles after paying towing and storage fees. He added that vehicle owners would not deliberately abandon their vehicles on the road, especially once they have been towed to a safer location.
“In the previous LI, it was stated that when your vehicle breaks down in the city, you have 30 minutes to tow it, and when it breaks down on the highway, you have one hour to tow it off the road. Now they said immediately, yes, we agree with that. But one area we don’t support is auctioning the vehicle after 21 days,” Amoah said. He urged authorities to reconsider the auction provision and instead give owners more time to retrieve their vehicles, subject to the payment of the relevant charges.
“We think they have to take a second look at the word auction because nobody will intentionally decide to leave his vehicle on the road. If it is being towed to a safer place, we think that the number of days the vehicle will spend there, if you have a fee that the owner will pay, that is fine. But to auction the vehicle, we think that will not help our business,” he added.
The GPRTU maintains that towing and storage charges can effectively keep roads clear of broken‑down vehicles without exposing transport operators to the risk of losing their assets.
Authorities are yet to respond to the union’s appeal. Transport operators and vehicle owners will be watching closely to see whether the 21‑day auction rule is amended or upheld.
