Act 1153 · L.I. 2519 · NRSA
The 2027 towing rules, in plain words.
From 1 January 2027, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Act 2025 (Act 1153) and the Road Traffic Regulations 2026 (L.I. 2519) make towing cover compulsory in Ghana and set out what happens when a vehicle stops on the road. Here is what has been publicly reported, and what it means for the people who will deliver it.
Until the regime starts
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Days
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Hours
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Minutes
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Seconds
- 01
Every vehicle owner needs towing cover
Owners must either subscribe to a towing company or hold an insurance policy that includes towing. The owner chooses the provider; there is no single national levy.
What it means in practice
Insurers and towing companies need a reliable record of who they cover, and a way for officers to check it.
- 02
A disabled vehicle must be removed immediately
Earlier public statements mention 30 minutes in cities and an hour on highways to call for a tow. The driver must place warning triangles and give their provider the vehicle type and location.
What it means in practice
The time of the motorist’s request matters: it is their proof that they acted. Providers will be judged on how quickly they arrive.
- 03
If the owner does not act, the authorities may
NRSA or MTTD may tow the vehicle compulsorily and charge the owner for the tow and storage.
What it means in practice
Authorities need designated towing companies and yards, and a record of each order from the roadside to custody.
- 04
Removals must be reported
Towing companies must notify the police or NRSA when they remove a vehicle.
What it means in practice
Every tow needs a notice with the plate, place, time, destination and operator.
- 05
Towed vehicles follow a custody timeline
Vehicles are stored for up to 7 days for the owner to collect. Unclaimed after 21 days, they are referred for judicial auction with 7 days’ notice to the owner; unsold vehicles may be confiscated or scrapped.
What it means in practice
Yards must count days, serve notices and keep proof that they did.
- 06
Towing operators will be accredited
NRSA will accredit towing companies. The tariff is not final; NRSA has said a tow should cost “far less than GH¢2,000”.
What it means in practice
Only accredited companies should be offered jobs, and prices belong in rate cards that can change without new software.
The custody clock
From check-in to auction referral.
- 0
Day 0
Check-in
Photos, condition, keys and contents. Owner told where the vehicle is.
- 5
Day 5
Reminder
Second notice by text. Delivery receipts kept.
- 7
Day 7
Storage period ends
Daily storage charges start, from the tariff.
- 14
Day 14
Auction notice
Seven days’ notice. Letter served if the text fails.
- 21
Day 21
Referred for auction
Hand-over record for the judicial auction.
Is Boapah an insurer or a towing company?
Neither. Boapah is the platform that insurers, towing companies, yards and authorities use to run the work. It never sells cover and never holds the money; charges are tracked and settled between the parties as today.
Does Boapah replace NRSA’s own app?
No. NRSA is building its own channel for motorists. Boapah is the operations and compliance layer for industry, and is built to report to and plug into NRSA’s platform.
Do motorists need to install anything?
No. Motorists report by USSD, SMS or a phone call, and follow their case on a light web page that opens on 3G. Crews use the field app; offices use the web portal.
What happens if the rules change?
Day counts, tariffs, working calendars and response targets live in a rule set that the operations team changes, with a second approver, without new code. Each vehicle in custody keeps the rules that applied when it arrived.
Where does Boapah start?
On the Accra–Kumasi corridor: Greater Accra, the N6 and Kumasi metro, with a small group of design partners, before expanding nationally.
Design partners · Accra–Kumasi corridor
Be ready on day one of the new rules.
We are onboarding a small group of insurers, accredited towing companies and storage yards on the Accra–Kumasi corridor before January 2027. Partners shape the product, get their covers loaded and crews trained, and go live first.