As former President John Dramani Mahama makes a u-turn to tell Ghanaians that when giving a second chance to assume the realms of power in the December 7, general elections, he will legalize motorcycles also known as ‘Okada’ as a means for transport, there has been a national discourse whether it should be legalised or not legalised in the country.
The issue was first raised by former President Mahama in one of his public engagements and has since been welcomed by the Okada riders making the Minority in parliament to push for the amendment of the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, L.I 2180 to allow for the use of motorcycles for commercial purpose.
Nonetheless, the Mahama-led National Democratic Congress (NDC) government were the ones who made it illegal in 2012 when they passed a law to ban the practice making Okada illegal.
The Section 128 [1] of the Road Traffic Regulations Act, 2012 states that, “The Licensing Authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a fare paying passenger”.
Meanwhile, at the time this law was passed, the use of motorcycles and tricycles for commercial purposes had become the new source of employment among many Ghanaian youth and Parliament has not amended this law.
In spite of this, the NPP Government has not made any comment whether it will make Okada legal or not, though for several years calls have been mounted for the government to legalise the operations of ‘Okada’ in the country to facilitate movement following the rampant vehicular congestion on our roads
Many believe the several losses of lives should be the overriding reason not to legalize it in order to curb reckless riding on our roads while others especially, motor riders have argued that the unemployment situation was forcing them into what hitherto had never been their dream.
Available records at the Drivers and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) have shown that 702,235 motorbikes have since 1995 been registered in the country.
Meanwhile, the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has hinted that the use of motorcycles for both commercial and business purposes have caused a higher record of deaths than other means of transport in the country.
Many who support the legalization of Okada argue that it will create a lot of jobs for the teeming youth and facilitate the free flow of traffic without considering the dangers it poses on our roads.
However, their argument that it will facilitate the free flow of traffic on our roads may not be entire true in that road traffic regulations apply to all road users including motorcycles and pedestrians alike.
This means that riders must stop at traffic lights, at pedestrian crossings for pedestrians and are not permitted to use the spaces or line demarcations between the roads, and likewise are not permitted to use the flanks of the roads or the medians.
They will be faster on arriving if there are special dedicated roads for motorbikes and other link or access roads which are less busy and currently as it stands, Ghana has only few of such unless we consider it as a matter of urgency and inculcate it into our road construction plans.
As a result, the NRSA must put steps to review the law on motorbikes and step up education to the general public especially, as we approach Christmas and elections to reduce the rate of deaths in the country.
We are also calling for the need for motor riders to acquire license and road worthy certificates in order to be on the road since those found culpable will be arrested by the law enforcement authorities.
We therefore caution individuals who patronize motorbikes and riders to ensure that they wear a helmet to reduce injuries whereas riders must also obey traffic lights rules.
Story: Seth Ameyaw Danquah
