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Information Minister, Mustapha Hamid, has called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to punish officers in jurisdictions where broken-down vehicles are found on roads.

“We hope the IGP will sanction police who fail to remove broken-down vehicles in their jurisdiction,” he said on Monday, August 21.

His comments come in the wake of the government cancelling the mandatory towing levy after a section of Ghanaians strongly opposed its implementation.

The policy would have imposed a mandatory fee on all vehicle owners in the country.

This was to help a towing company rid the streets of broken-down vehicles to ensure traffic safety and reduce accidents.

A statement from the Transport Ministry announcing the cancellation of the contract said: “The Government has decided not to implement the mandatory towing levy which was scheduled to have commenced on 1 July, 2017.

“This follows extensive consultation between the Minister of Transport and stakeholders in the transport sector.”

The statement, signed by Transport Minister, Kwaku Ofori Asiamah, noted that: “Upon consultations consequent to the calls, Government has decided to seek a review of parts of the laws, specifically to achieve the following objective: removal from the law, the concept of a mandatory towing levy on all owners and persons in charge of motor vehicles and trailers.”

Mr Hamid, who was speaking in an interview on Joy FM emphasized that since the mandatory levy has been scrapped, the police must ensure that the roads are free of obstacles that may cause accidents.

He urged motorists to endeavour to call the nearest police station to help remove their broken-down vehicles in lieu of inviting a mechanic to fix the car on the road.

The police can subsequently surcharge the motorists afterwards.