Petition of two groups on the legalization of "okada"

General News on Friday, March 29, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-03-29

Parliament has received petitions from two bodies concerning the legalization of the use of motorcycles and tricycles for commercial purposes, commonly known as Okada.

According to Kwami Agbodza, a member of Parliament's Parliamentary Committee on Roads and Transport, the groups want the House to review the laws that currently prohibit the use of Okada.

The president Thursday after a discussion on the Okada regularization referred the subject to the Roads and Transport Committee to propose solutions to this problem.

The Adaklu MP addressed Citi News asking Parliament to legalize the use of Okada.

"Two groups, one is a distributor of these tricycles and the other is a group of people who already operate these things. They held the current legislation in hand and said they knew the law. They encourage us to change the legislation to make their work easier. "

Muntaka calls for legalization of Okada

The chief minority bad, Muntaka Mubarak, argued strongly for the legalization of motorcycles and tricycles for commercial purposes, better known as Okada.

According to him, the rise of the phenomenon is due to the convenience and opportunities of creating jobs badociated with the company.

He called on parliament to review its laws and regulate their use.

The Asawase MP made a statement to Parliament asking colleagues to join the crusade to lift the ban.

"Okada's business also has a multiplier effect on the Ghanaian economy, as some cyclists save part of their income from this activity to create other businesses while employing family members to manage them. . In Nigeria, in most populated cities, there are more than 200,000 Okada operators that directly employ more than 500,000 people.

"Given its widespread use in the sub-region, motorcycles represent an opportunity for us to establish a factory as part of our quest for excellence. Assembling the bikes here in Ghana and exporting them to countries like Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast, where these bikes are used as public transport can generate income and address unemployment in the country. "

For his part, the First Vice President, Joe Osei Owusu, said that the safety issues badociated with the use of Okada and its excesses did not make it a viable mode of transportation. That's why the ban should be in effect.

His concerns follow the call of the Minister of Transport to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to arrest people who use motorcycles, commonly called Okada after 9:30 pm.

The minister said the measure would help reduce motorcycle crime and motorcycle crashes in the country.

Statistics from the Traffic and Transport Department of the police show that 200 motorcyclists lost their lives in 2010.

The number climbed to 400 in 2012.

Deputy Transport Minister Titus Glover said a national ban on the use of motorcycles overnight would help reduce crime in the country.

"Any motorcycle we will see at that time until the next morning should be stopped. Some education can be done before the implementation of the directive, "said the minister.

Section 128 (1) of the Traffic By-law 2012 (Legislative 2180) on the Use of Motorcycles for Commercial Purposes states: "The licensing authority shall not register a motorcycle to transport a paying pbadenger. "

Okada's operations in the country, especially in the Greater Accra region, have mushroomed, as a result of the police's inability to enforce the law.

The government has recently indicated that it is reviewing the law banning the commercial use of motorcycles to determine whether to amend the law to regulate its operations or maintain its current form and punish offenders.

Asiamah said the government was reviewing the 2012 traffic regulations because its non-implementation has led to an increase in Okada operations in the country.