Commercial motor and tricycle riders across the country say their they will speak through the ballot on December 7 when Ghana goes to the polls to elect President and Members of Parliament.
According to the riders whose numerical strength has been estimated at 800,000, they are disappointed in Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s claims that the commercial use of motorcycle and tricycle is risky and needed to be banned.
In a media interview in Accra, National Public Relations Officer of Okada Riders Association of Ghana, Solomon Akpanaba said “we have been told that the NPP does not like Okada riders but we did not believe it but now it’s clear that they indeed do not like us.”
“We gave all the political Parties one-week ultimatum to make public their position on legalization and regulation of Okada. The one-week ultimatum elapsed last week but we gave tolerance a chance to wait and listen to what they will say…we did this because we want all political parties to speak to the issue so that our members will hear what the Party they support and have been voting will say. Some of them have spoken and we have heard them but our position is that we will speak loud and clear on December 7,” Mr Akpanaba fumed in response to Vice President Dr Bawumia.
Speaking at the joint launch of a strategic collaboration of Volkswagon & Blackivy to launch Volkswagon’s new assembled cars in Ghana, Vice President Dr. Bawumia stated that the NPP government will stick to its decision not to legalize Okada and instead provide a better alternative for the Okada riders.
“I know that there’s been a recent discussion about Okada in Ghana, I think that in the context of what we are doing we will rather encourage the okada riders to come in and try to lease these vehicles so that they can run businesses. They need to graduate from this risky and less safe okada riding to a safer means of transportation. Their problem will be a lack of capital but if you bring in new leasing policies and we have our national ID cards with our digital addresses we can have a credit system working and give you an option other than this risky job.
He added: “You don’t want to finish driving school and then make life in okada riding. You can have a better option and we’ll give you a better option. So, yes, we will not legalize Okada business. It may be a tough decision but it is in the interest of Ghanaians. We have had discussions but we will stick to our decision to provide a better alternative to okada riding. Let’s give them an opportunity to lease vehicles and pay over time.”
By: Mina Ekua Hayford / awakenewsroom.com
