Law Banning Okada Operations Must Be Maintained For Now - Hassan Tampuli

A Deputy Minister Designate for the Transport, Hassan Tampuli has suggested the law banning commercial motorcycle operations popularly known as the okada in Ghana ought to be maintained. According to him, okada riders do not obey the road traffic regulations leading to many crashes, hence legalising such a business would

be counterproductive. Ghana as country has been with motorbikes for a long time, but it’s commercialisation of same that I believe is the issue confronting us now. The issue also goes beyond the okada. I think that generally motorcycle riders sometimes turn to engage in some amount of rascality on the streets and most of them

do not respect the road traffic regulations and then also sometimes you will see two or three people too riding on the same bike with no helmets so, in the event of a crash, they don’t have any safety as far as the accident is concerned. Currently the commercialisation also of motorbike is outlawed under the road traffic regulations

and I believe we should continue to maintain it for now until we are also able to do a lot more public education about the use of it as a means of transport before we can roll it out. Mr. Tampuli made these comments when he also appeared before the Parliament’s Appointments Committee on the Wednesday, the June 9, 2021 to be vetted for the Deputy Transport Minister portfolio.

Okada business was outlawed in 2012

In 2012, the use of motorbikes for commercial transport in Ghana was outlawed under Regulation 128 (1 - 4) of Road Traffic Regulations 2012, which states; licensing authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a fare paying passenger. The debate on the legalisation of the okada came up strongly also during the run-up to the

December 2020 general elections following a promise by the then Presidential Candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress, John Mahama to allow it and regularize it. While some criticized him over the idea, saying that it was populist and would cause more harm than good too, and others defended it and citing the job creation prospects of operations. The Bureau of

Public Safety, for instance, demanded details of how the commercial use of the motorcycles would be regulated too. Okada Riders Association of Ghana ORAG pledged its support for Mr. Mahama and the government on the other hand described the operationalisation of okada as a risky business and said it would not heed to pressure to legalise same.