According to him, the popularly known ‘okada’ business cannot be regularised since existing traffic regulations of the country do not give room for it.
During Mr Asiamah’s vetting on Tuesday, February 23, he stated that it would be difficult for him to lead the legalisation of okada, adding that “the country has an issue of enforcement and the government might consider a stakeholder conversation if traffic regulations and its enforcement improves significantly”.
According to him, it will be unsafe to legalise the okada business when road traffic regulation issues have not been properly addressed, with Ghana recording a number of motorcycle accidents and fatalities annually.
Fatalities
Figures quoted by the Transport Minister-designate indicate that “in 2010 the people who died out of motorcycles accidents was 210. In 2020, out of 250,000 who died from road accidents, 1050 is as a result of motorcycles.”
“The police are however, trying to modernise their system of traffic control. If by tomorrow the condition in terms of traffic management, in terms of enforcing regulations becomes conducive, why not? We will assess it,” he assured.
The argument on the legalisation of okada business started in August 2020, where the NDC flagbearer in the 2020 general elections, John Mahama, promised that his government would legalise it, if voted into power. However, as many kicked against it, a section of the public also saw it as ploy by Mr Mahama to get votes from these okada riders.
