The Road Safety Commission calls for a dialogue on the "Okada" ban

General News of Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Source: citinewsroom.com

2019-03-27

The National Road Safety Commission has called for stakeholder consultation on recent calls for the revision of the ban on the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes.

According to the Ghana Highway Code, the use of motorcycles commonly known as "okada" is illegal, but various interest groups have pressured the government to legalize it.

David Osafo Adonteng, director of planning and programming for NRSC at Citi News, said they would lead the review processes and put in place measures to ensure public safety.

He however noted that the number of accidents involving motorcycles was increasing. There were 3,903 motorcycle accidents in 2018.

"It asks us to take a second look at this particular population, to see what is wrong and then we can fix it by using the law … We hold consultation meetings with stakeholders. The law as it is, if it can not be applied, we must examine it and do something about it.

Adonteng said the commission wanted to "protect lives and property. All operations; taxis, trotros, Ayalolos or even more, this must be done in such a way that you do not lose lives or suffer injuries. "

Consultations with stakeholders have already begun for a possible revision of the law.

According to the Department of Transportation which leads the discussions, the Okada company has provided jobs to thousands of people and has also simplified travel for traders, hence the need to review the law.

The Traffic By-law, 128, 2012 prohibits the use of motorcycles or tricycles for commercial purposes apart from courier and delivery services.

Under the regulations, the authority responsible for issuing driving licenses and vehicles, DVLA can only register a motorcycle or tricycle for commercial purposes.