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Ruttchen Trucks Ghana Limited (RTG), an indigenous Ghanaian company has denied ‘stealing’ the concept of road tow from some service providers based on which it won the contract from government.

According to the company, it conceived, initiated and presented valid documents in respect to the project pending Legislative Instrument for a nation-wide take off of the project in 2008, and that it has Copy Right on the Towing project.

At a press conference addressed by Chrisford Aboagye, former Board Chairman of the National Road Safety Commission indicated that Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSMSL) did not conceive, initiate the road towing project and hence, cannot claim ownership of the project.

He explained that as at 2008, RTG had procured over 60 acres of land across the country and as well procured towing vehicles with the core objective of implementing the project.

“…at the time, there was no record of, neither was there the existence of any such company with the idea, capacity and capability to implement the project,” he stressed.

Chrisford Aboagye explained that a committee was set up comprising representatives from the National Insurance Commission, DVLA, Road Transport Operators and the National Road Safety Commission to study RTG proposal after which the company was mandated to voluntarily provide towing services on tow-and-collect basis.

“RTG was to do the mandatory towing when the legal framework has been put in place…NRSC continued the process in 2009 and made various arrangements with RTG,” he indicated.

According to him, later in 2012 when the Road Traffic Regulation (LI 2180) was enacted, the Voluntary Towing was abolished and replaced with Mandatory Towing services and attempts were being made by the NRSC to give the Mandatory Towing Project to RSML.

“…to achieve their objective, the NRSC started to reinvent the wheel by setting up a Financial and Technical Evaluation for all interested companies to be conducted when such evaluation had been done in 2009.”

Chrisford Aboagye also enumerated that, RTG then informed the Ministry of Transport which conducted evaluation of the financial and technical capacity of RTG’s foreign partners in Holland and after a satisfactory report, RTG was assured of the amendment of the Towing Law to include five towing companies to begin the Mandatory towing.

He stressed that RTG is of the view that RSMSL claims must be treated with the contempt it deserves and that RTG must be given its rightful project to implement human-centered projects which to all intents and purposes aims not only at towing broken down vehicles but to render immediate health care to accident victims if need be.

“The concept is to provide on-the-spot well equipped vehicular support services by trained mechanics, secured parking space and rest stops.”