New Ghana road traffic law: Mandatory towing within 30 minutes for breakdown in city centres

Drivers in Ghana whose vehicles break down in major city centres will soon be required to arrange for towing within 30 minutes, as part of a new policy set to accompany the enforcement of the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

The Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Abraham Amaliba, announced the new measure during an appearance on JoyNews’ The Law programme on Sunday, March 15. He explained that the policy is designed to tackle traffic congestion and road hazards caused by broken-down vehicles, particularly in busy urban areas.

“It’s quite simple: if your car breaks down in the city centre, within 30 minutes you must call your towing company,” Dr. Amaliba stated.

To ensure compliance, the policy will make it mandatory for every vehicle owner to subscribe to a towing service. Dr. Amaliba drew a parallel with the existing requirement for motorists to have insurance.

“The law is going to make it mandatory for every car owner to subscribe to a towing company, or to secure the service through their insurance company,” he said.

Dr. Amaliba revealed that discussions have already taken place with the National Insurance Commission (NIC) to integrate towing services into standard motor insurance packages. He indicated that the insurance industry is preparing for the transition.

“I’ve had discussions with the NIC boss, and she says the insurance companies are ready,” Dr. Amaliba noted. “Some have already acquired towing vehicles.”

While the requirement may be new to the public, the NRSA Director-General assured that extensive groundwork has been laid to ensure a seamless implementation once the amended legislation comes into full effect.

The towing regulation is a key component of the broader Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to modernize Ghana’s transport framework. Once assented to by President John Dramani Mahama and gazetted, the law—widely referred to as the “Okada Law”—will legalize the commercial use of motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles for passenger transport.

Beyond legalizing commercial motorcycles, the amendments to the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) will also introduce stricter alcohol limits for drivers, enforce enhanced vehicle safety standards, and implement additional regulations to improve overall safety and organization within Ghana’s transport sector.