Parliament To Debate Ban On Importation Of Accident & Overage Cars

Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Member of Parliament for Suame, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has disclosed that a bill has been laid before parliament about the ban on importation of accident and overage cars.

According to him, a decision has not been taken yet by parliament but discussions on the bill will commence soon in parliament about the ban.

Speaking on Okay FM’s Ade Akye Abia program, he explained that there have been rising concerns about the importation of these cars which somehow contribute to accidents in the country.

"There’s a global concern about the Co2 emission from vehicles especially the overage ones which scientifically are contributing to global warming. So all these issues will come up in the discussion in parliament, so I cannot say that a ban has been placed yet," the Suame MP stated.

Currently, overaged vehicles are allowed into the country after the payment of penalty but Government is considering a complete ban on the importation of vehicles which are 10 years old and also prevent the importation of salvaged vehicles. (Salvage vehicles are those that have been involved in an accident or vehicles that are flooded).

German car-maker, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Toyota are various vehicle manufacturing companies that have plans to set up assembling plants in Ghana to serve the Ghanaian market and other countries.

In a related development, the Automobile Dealers Union Ghana has welcomed the decision.

Speaking on the same platform, Prez of the group, Eric Boateng, explained that they will support the government's decision to ban the overage and accident cars because they contribute to most road accidents in the country.

"In as much as we understand how beneficial these cars are to some Ghanaians, we are concerned about their safety," he added.