Transport body calls for wider consultation on tow levy

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) Ghana has added its voice to the call on the government to suspend the Mandatory Tow Levy (MTL) and engage in wider consultation before implementation.

It also condemned what it described as the monopolistic nature of the policy, saying that, ‘it flies in the face of the competitive bidding process, where only one company had been handpicked to implement the policy.’

The President of the institute, Mr Ebo Hammond, made the call in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday after the opening ceremony of a two-day workshop on vehicle maintenance in Accra.

Public outcry

The MTL is slated to be implemented by the end of September 2017. But there have been questions about the propriety of the levy and the company the contract has been awarded to.

It is meant to help clear the roads of dangerously parked vehicles.  

Some have questioned the basis for which the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) awarded the contract to the Road Safety Management Limited (RSML), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group, owned by Mr Joseph Siaw Agyapong.   

Already, the Ghana Committed Drivers Association (GCDA) has served notice of its intended nationwide demonstrations, should the law be passed to implement the levy.

‘We’re not against the law’

Explaining the position of CILT, Mr Hammond reiterated that the institute was not against any law which would help curb road accidents, “except that the current MTL needs further and proper consultation.”

“We are not against the tow levy; but we are against the strategy used to solve the problems caused by broken down vehicles on the road where only one company has been made to monopolise the implementation of the policy,” he said.

While admitting that sections of the contract mandate the RSML to sublet to other companies, he said it would sublet to its own companies, and that was inappropriate.

Mr Hammond dismissed claims that there were consultations before the final draft of the policy was drawn, noting that as a foremost transport and logistics institution with a proven track record, CILT Ghana was not consulted in anyway.

Competitive tender

Mr Hammond suggested, for instance, that the government could zone the country and advertise for companies in the zones to bid accordingly.

“You must open it up for more companies to bid to make it more competitive  and that will also reduce cost for the government in the long run,” he said.

Vehicle maintenance seminar

The two-day vehicle maintenance management seminar was meant to equip the participants with adequate knowledge in vehicle maintenance.
Participants included directors of ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), players from the transport and logistics sectors and accountants.

Mr Hammond said the proper maintenance of vehicles could prevent their breaking down and subsequent towing.
Writer’s email: charles.andoh@graphic.com.gh