The Ministry of Transport has constituted a 13-member inter-agency committee to review aspects of the Road Traffic Regulations 2021 (L.I. 2180) that currently prohibit the commercial use of motorcycles, popularly known as “okada.”
According to the sector minister, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, the committee has been given three weeks to complete its work, as part of the Mahama government’s broader initiative to legalize motorcycle transport services.
Speaking after inaugurating the committee on Tuesday, March 18, he emphasized that the move aligns with efforts to create economic opportunities for young people engaged in the okada trade.
“We want them to use motorcycles and tricycles for commercial purposes, and exactly that is what we’re doing,” Mr. Bukari Nikpe stated.
“We are looking within a period of three weeks for them to do all the stakeholder consultations, bring all the ideas and suggestions that will facilitate the amendment of L.I. 2180, so that we will get our young people who are desirous of using motorcycles and tricycles to earn a living to engage in that enterprise.”
The decision comes amid ongoing debates over the safety, economic impact, and feasibility of regulating okada operations in Ghana.
