Bad people exposed …24-hr towing officers grabbed taking bribes

The illegal transaction taking place

INVESTIGATIONS CONDUCTED by The Heritage have revealed that some workers of 24-hour Towing Services Limited under the offices of Accra Metropolitan Assembly are busy duping motorists to glean their pockets.

These officials use their position to extort monies from commercial and private motorists without issuing official receipts under the pretext of performing their legitimate duties.

The modus operandi of the cartel usually is to stop a defaulting driver for traffic offences whereupon, the motorist is charged for his offence but after payment, surprisingly, they are not offered receipts indicating payment. This obviously denies the nation of the badly needed revenue.

A chronology of their operation begins with taking a seat in your car under the pretext of taking you to their parking lot but in a well-rehearsed manner urge the occupant of the vehicle “to do something” literally meaning pay for your freedom. Drivers who understand their language are allowed to drive to a vantage point, pay the money and let off the hook.

Painstaking monitoring of their activities of this syndicate reveal that in a day, they fine at least 20 vehicles and in turn demand GH¢ 40.00 from offending drivers before letting them off the hook.

This reporter posed as a friend to a top Bank Official to gather hard evidence. The official and other drivers were made to pay GH¢ 40.00 each before their vehicles were allowed to leave without being issued with any official receipt.

When the driver was 'arrested' for parking at a 'no parking' section at the airport, this reporter was not given any penalty charge notice, but was only asked to pay GH¢70.00 for committing such an offence. After bargaining and incessant pleas for a reduction, a staff of the towing company asked her to pay GH¢40.00 before they allowed her to move her car.

Expressing similar sentiments to this reporter in an interview, some registered taxi drivers who ply the Kwame Nkrumah Circle to the Kotoka International Airport, disclosed to The Heritage that some staff at the 24hour service have specific drivers whom they charge GH¢5.00 every day and allow them to run their businesses, irrespective of their offence.

Attempts made by this reporter to elicit responses on the issue proved futile, as authorities of the 24-hour Service Limited were not forthcoming on the issue.

Story by Karimatu Anas