Abandoned vehicles face auction under new road safety rules – National Road Safety Authority

The government plans to auction abandoned vehicles on roads that are not promptly removed under new road traffic regulations, according to the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA). Motorists must purchase a towing service or secure an insurance policy that covers towing, said Kwame Koduah Attuahene, the Director of Registration, Inspection and Compliance at the NRSA.

If owners do not comply, their vehicles could be towed at their expense. The new rules have eliminated a 30-minute to one-hour grace period previously given to motorists after a breakdown. Vehicles that break down now must be immediately towed, and owners must place an advance warning triangle and inform their towing service provider.

The towed vehicle will then be transported to a storage facility, where the owner must reclaim it within seven days. If the vehicle is not reclaimed within 21 days, it will be auctioned with a seven-day notice, and if unclaimed, the vehicle may be confiscated and scrapped by the state. These measures aim to prevent broken-down and crashed vehicles from posing further hazards to other road users.