The Public Relations Officer of the Okada Riders Association, Solomon Akpanaba, has cautioned that government efforts to legalize commercial motorcycle operations (Okada) could face serious challenges if not properly implemented.
Speaking on the Happy Morning Show on Thursday, October 9, Mr. Akpanaba revealed that the legalization of Okada use may take effect by the end of the year, but warned that poor preparation could “embarrass the government.”
“Road issues cannot be politicized,” he said. “They are supposed to train all the riders. I keep saying this in Ghana, police are not supposed to arrest motor riders and ask them for licences, because the licence doesn’t come with training. A licence without proper training is already a recipe for road crashes.”
Mr. Akpanaba stressed the need for rider education and certification before full legalization.
“By now, we should have had instructors across the country, ready to train riders. As soon as the government announces that Okada operations are legal, riders should be told to obtain both a valid licence and a riding certificate,” he explained. “If they don’t have one, they should go to the nearest riding training school to be certified. But up till now, they haven’t started, they say they are still about to train the instructors.”
He further revealed that for the past four months, none of the riders have been called for training.
“Okada will be regularized, but there will still be riders without proper training and that is wrong,” he added.
Mr. Akpanaba urged authorities to prioritize training and safety to ensure the legalization process protects both riders and the public.
