[ad_1]
<! –
->
The chief bad of the minority, Muntaka Mubarack, called for the legalization of motorcycles [Okada] for commercial transportation.
Speaking before Parliament Thursday, said MP Asawase, such a move would create jobs for thousands of young people.
"Let's review the law to accommodate okada operators by integrating them into our national transportation system so that they can be identified, registered, licensed and controlled to comply with traffic regulations," he said. declared.
His suggestion received the support of other MPs, including Saddique Abubakar, MP for Madina, who shared personal experience of how the use of Okada led to a meeting. on time.
In response, Deputy Minister of Transport Daniel Titus-Glover said the government is continuing its consultations on the way forward.
The full statement is published below.
LEGALIZATION OF THE COMMERCIAL USE OF TRICYCLES AND MOTORCYCLES POPULARLY RECOGNIZED AS "OKADA" IN GHANA
BY HON MOHAMMED-MUBARAK MUNTAKA – MP ASAWASE
In 2012, this Honorable House endorsed a government legislative proposal to adopt the Road Traffic (Statutory Instrument 2180), 2012, to regulate road transportation in our country. Subsections 128 (1), (2) and (3) of the RE. 2180, prohibit the use of motorcycles or tricycles, or what is commonly called "Okada" for commercial purposes.
Mr President, I wish to emphasize that the following provisions are necessary: Subsection 128 (1) of L.I. 2180 states that "the licensing authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a paying pbadenger."
Section 128 (2) states that "no person shall authorize the use of a motorcycle or tricycle under his control for commercial purposes, except for courier and parcel services. Delivery."
Section 128 (3) states: "No person shall drive a motorcycle or tricycle as a fare-paying pbadenger."
These provisions, which effectively prohibited the use of motorcycles or tricycles for commercial purposes, have been in force since 2012. This declaration calls for a review of these provisions in the light of the existing possibilities for the use of motorcycles or motorcycles. tricycles for commercial purposes. otherwise we escape because of the ban.
The "Okada" activity in our part of the world was attributed to Lagos, the old administrative capital of Nigeria, where motorcycles and tricycles were used to solve the city's notorious traffic jams.
Indeed, as the public now know, traffic jams in the city of Lagos have been one of the major reasons why the Nigerian Federal Government has decided to transfer the capital to Abuja, at the heart of the nation.
Using the motorcycle or tricycle as the fastest way to reach offices and parts of the city of Lagos was a success, as the people who worked there reached their destination on time and with ease.
Because of their services, customers compare the movement or operations of motorcycles to those of an airline Okada, the first national airline in Nigeria created in the 1980s by Mr. Gabriel Egbinedion, one of the first known millionaires from Nigeria, from Okada. village in the state of Edo.
Over time, Okada's business expanded from Lagos to other parts of the country due to its convenience. The company has gradually expanded to the subregion of West Africa, in countries such as Togo and Benin, as well as in some regions of Africa. Africa.
The omnipresence of motorcycle or tricycle services in Africa is clearly manifested by the proliferation of local names to describe them. They include okada or Adedeta (Ghana), okada or alalok (Nigeria), kabu-kabu (Niger), boda-boda (Uganda and Kenya), zemidjan (Benin), oleyia (Togo) and bendskin (Cameroon).
Motorcycle or tricycle companies are also present in some parts of the world, particularly in South-East Asia, where congestion is a challenge for municipal authorities and also aims to meet the public transit needs of the population, especially rural people.
In Ghana, the situation is not different. Motorbikes or tricycles have become the preferred means of transport for rural people, as it is the easiest and cheapest way to do business.
For example, in the five northern regions of Bono, Ahafo and northern Volta, the use of motorcycles or tricycles is an essential part of their daily activities, so that farmers, teachers, nurses, social workers and many others rely on them to get to their place of work.
Farmers use a motorcycle or tricycle daily to transport food to and from their farms, while nurses and other health workers see them as the most effective way to access the backyard. countries to provide health care services. However, the recent use of motorcycles or tricycles for commercial purposes in cities such as Accra, Kumasi, Tamale and Cape Coast has increased.
In the riding of Asawase, it is estimated that motorcycles or tricycles represent about 40% of the essential transportation for people living in the riding.
Statistics from the Licensing and Licensing Authority (DVLA) revealed that in the last ten years, about 10,000 motorcycles or tricycles have been registered annually in Tamale only. Travelers from major cities now prefer to use okada rather than taxis. This is because the public wants to cross dense city traffic to reach their destination on time.
What was now just a means of transportation for rural people in particular is now a viable livelihood for many young Ghanaians. The "Okada trade" fed many of our young men and their families who had little or no formal education.
In my riding, I have heard touching stories about the fact that okada has been a lifeline for some of our young people. During a typical day, some okada runners earn up to 150 GH thanks to their company. After a commission of about 50 GH, they have a large sum left to care for themselves and their immediate family.
Okada or Adedeta activity also has a multiplier effect on the Ghanaian economy, in that some runners save part of their income from the company to create other businesses while hiring members of their company. family to manage them.
In Rwanda, a startup called SafeMotos was created with the help of an Uber-influenced smartphone app that connects customers with taxis for motorcycles or tricycles. Guests are linked to a safer motorcycle or tricycle taxi driver for an additional charge, of which SafeMotos charges a commission of 13%. It focuses on safety and uses data to measure driver crash risk. SafeMotos provides jobs to Rwandan youth and income to the government.
Lagos, Nigeria's most populous city, has more than 200,000 Okada operators, which directly employ more than 500,000 people. Given its widespread use in the sub-region, motorcycles and tricycles represent an opportunity for us to create a factory as part of our quest for industrialization.
By badembling the bikes here in Ghana and exporting them to countries like Burkina Faso, Togo, Benin and Côte d'Ivoire, where these bikes are mainly used as public transport, they can generate income and create jobs to deal with the unemployment problems of this country.
Although these Okada farmers are struggling to make a living, their activities have been described as counterproductive, as many of them are not following the rules of the road. They do not wear protective clothing such as helmets, putting their lives and those of their customers at risk. Some of them ride recklessly, resulting in road accidents.
These negative trends necessitated a call for a total ban on the practice as well as some of the main reasons that initially influenced the adoption of the law. But I think that the benefits outweigh the social costs and that, therefore, we can not kill the goose that has laid its eggs with gold through the l '. continued ban on the use of the motorcycle or tricycle for commercial purposes by the country.
The idea that motorcycles are used to commit crimes such as tearing cell phones and people's money and their cruising speed thereafter is not inherent in this mode, but is a consequence of the improper application of the law. When criminals have adopted the motorcycle as a tool of criminal activity, the police will have to devise methods to counter this trend.
What is essential is that the country put in place regulations that support the commercial activities of okada runners. Such regulation should aim to establish appropriate standards and capabilities for motorcycles and their drivers for public transport.
These regulations must also relate to the appropriate type of motorcycle for which a deductible may be granted, the minimum engine capacity in cubic centimeters (CC), the speed of movement of motorcycle taxis, the requirements for franchising, seat and helmet and the biker training requirements sign up as a public service vehicle driver.
Through other regulations to support their commercial use, such as establishing working time limits in which commercial activities are permitted, can help us achieve the goal of creating jobs for people. young people and to meet the transportation needs of our population, especially in rural areas.
Let's review the law to accommodate okada operators by integrating them with our national transportation system so that they can be identified, registered, licensed and controlled to comply with traffic rules.
Thank you, Mr President, and dear colleagues, for your attention.
[ad_2]
Source link
