Seven transport companies have found themselves wanting for failing to comply with mandatory registration requirements and regulatory notices under the National Road Safety Regulations 2022 (L.I. 2468).

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The companies Express Transport, AY Transport, Dikyebu Transport, Ghana Express, KEK Transport, Nasara Transport, and V3 Express have had their operations suspended.

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Also, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has imposed a total administrative penalty of GH₵462,000.00 against these companies.

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Each offending transport company is liable to pay to the Authority a monetary penalty of GH₵6,000 for non-registration and GH₵60,000 for non-compliance with lawful notices within fourteen (14) days. Failure to do so will warrant additional sanctions.

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Director-General of NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, who engaged the media, explained that the grace period for these companies to do the needful expired on March 30, 2025.

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"These companies have chosen the path of non-compliance despite repeated notices, while some thirty (30) others have complied. We hope that this notice is loud enough for other entities yet to comply with the notice to register with the Authority as required by law," he stated.

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Abraham Amaliba emphasised that the Authority is in an enforcement mode and will not bend the rules for anyone.

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"The task of improving service quality begins with recognising which entities work within our operational space," he added.

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Two unions -the Commercial Transport Union and the Vigilante Transport Union—have also been sanctioned for not complying with mandatory registration requirements and regulatory notices.

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In February 2024, the National Road Safety Authority began a process to register road transport service providers as part of its mandate to regulate the road transport sector with a special focus on road transport service providers.

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Road transport service providers including transport companies, unions, transport departments of all State Agencies, school bus services, tyre service centres and garages are mandated to register with the Authority as required by law.

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The law mandates all road transport service providers to be registered or risk sanctions from the Authority.

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The National Road Safety Authority is established by an Act of Parliament (Act 993) to develop and promote road safety in the country, to coordinate and to regulate activities, procedures and standards related to road safety and to provide for related matters.

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Meanwhile, the NRSA is set to roll out a new Legislative Instrument (L.I.) that will require all vehicle owners in Ghana to subscribe to a registered towing service or insurance package, as part of renewed efforts to improve road safety.

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Managing Director of the NRSA, Abraham Amaliba, made this known during an interview on the Citi Breakfast Show on Wednesday, April 30.

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The initiative, which forms part of a broader legal framework that also includes the formalisation of commercial motorbike (Okada) operations, is aimed at reducing the number of abandoned vehicles on major roads—a growing menace that contributes to heavy traffic congestion and endangers motorists.

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“There is a variant of the towing law that was introduced but was later suspended. The new development will ensure that vehicle owners must subscribe to a towing company or insurance," Amaliba said. "

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"The earlier one that was introduced had a monopoly concern in the collection of the towing fee, but the new thinking, which will be in the Okada legalisation L.I, will see to it that when the law is passed, every owner must subscribe to the towing company or insurance company so that when your vehicle breaks down, you just call your subscriber to come to your aid.”

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He emphasized that any vehicle owner who fails to comply with the new directive would face penalties.

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“They will require that when you fail to do that, the NRSA will come in and tow the vehicle but you will be surcharged for that. When that is passed, it will reduce the incidents of vehicles breaking down on the roads because as it stands, it appears there is no regulation in that regard,” he explained.

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To ensure fairness and effectiveness, Amaliba noted that only certified towing service providers will be authorized under the new regulation.

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“We will certify some towing services for road users to subscribe to,” he added.

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The proposed legal measure seeks to replace an earlier attempt at implementing a national towing service, which was suspended due to concerns over centralized control and unfair fee structures.

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