Months of persistent public pressure against the implementation of the Legislative Instrument (LI) 2180 forced government to discontinue the execution of the policy.

A letter issued over the weekend and signed by Transport Minister Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, explained public resistance against the levy was enough to dissuade the government.

The LI was passed in 2012 under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government to empower the National Road Safety Commission to charge all motorists a levy ranging from GHȻ10 to GHȻ 100 based on tonnage.

Mustapha Hamid

The plan set for implementation July 1, 2017, triggered massive backlash as gauged on social media.

Speaking Monday, August 21, Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, directed the police “live up to that responsibility” and ensure disabled vehicles are towed off the roads, especially the highways to avert the occurrence of needless crashes. 

He urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), to “exercise sanctions to those officers who will fail to live up to that responsibility” to pull stationary vehicles from the roads.

The Information Minister further appealed to the public “to be responsible and be each other’s keeper” and lend a helping hand to owners of disabled vehicles to quickly lift them to avert any disasters.  

“The foremost responsibility should also be on the citizen so that when your car breaks down you tow it off of the road,” Mr. Hamid pleaded.