The New Commercial Transportation Trend; Legal or Illegal?

The emergence of motorbikes as a commercial means of transport (popularly known as “okada” in Nigeria) is an undeniable trend in transportation today in the capital city, Accra. Whiles the motorists and passengers believe it’s a source of employment and a faster means of transportation respectively; others believe it’s an unsafe means of transportation which should not be accepted. As to whether it is legal or not is another issue on its own.

Whether motorbike transportation should be legalized or not, is not my main worry; what I believe is, for the road authorities to make sure these motorists are abiding by the rules and regulations within their status quo. I remember the battle against commercial motor transportation in Accra started some time ago in Jamestown. These motorists in Jamestown who claimed they innovated this means of commercial transport, due to the heavy traffic that existed on the road from Accra central towards Mamprobi and Chorkor, were arrested and had their motorbikes seized because road authorities claimed it was an illegal practice. However we see a different story altogether today; these motorists are everywhere now, to the extent of even having policemen use their services.

I believe if the authorities have come to realise the need to accept the operations of these motorists, it will be better to draft rules and regulations for them and their operations, thus if there exists none already, than to sit back and speculate that it’s not accepted so people are also not expected to engage in such operations. That, I think will be just a fallacy on their behalf. On the other hand if authorities still hold these operations to be illegal, then there’s a need to use necessary means to eradicate it from the system. Thus it will be better to make sure these motorists are prevented from operating at all - if it is to be decreed illegal - or make sure they comply with laws concerning such operations.

This is because even though this new trend comes with undeniable benefits, especially in this era where traffic jams are on the rise, it is imperative to know that the operations of some of these motorists, pose great threat to society. Talk of those without licences, helmets (i.e. for themselves or/and their passengers), those who disobey road signs and symbols including the traffic light, just to mention but a few. 

By: Julius Ofori Boadu (JOB)
(juliusboadu@gmail.com)
Twitter: @CwesiOfori