I take this piece from a certain perspective, looking at the legal regime anticipated by the new Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (LI 2519), as well as sharing an opinion on what needs to be done further to ensure the effective and safe implementation of the commercial operation of Okada.
Oftentimes, you hear people say we have so many laws. They suggest that this country is not short of laws, but rather the lack of implementation and enforcement. That suggestion equally greeted the passage of the new Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (LI 2519). To those who took that position, there was no need to pass a new law. According to them, the previous law, Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (LI 2180) had sufficient provisions that could deal with our road traffic issues, making it unnecessary to enact a new law.
For my position, it is better to have laws waiting for changing times than to allow ourselves to be overwhelmed by trends before finding ways to resolve them.
The lack of a legal regime to regulate the commercial use of motorbikes, popularly known as Okada, has brought a rather chaotic use of Okada on our streets. Today, in almost every corner of the country, motorbikes are used for fare-paying services.
For many years, the position of law enforcement has been that no law allows for the commercial use of motorbikes, especially for fare-paying passengers. As a result, we turned a blind eye to the phenomenon even though it was glaring. Commercial motor riders ride through all principal areas of the country. They pass in front of law enforcement officers who turn a blind eye. For those who attempt to check their operations, it has been one means of extortion or the other.
The commercial operation of motorbikes, until the passage of LI 2519, had no clear regulatory provisions in law. Indeed, it was prohibited under our laws and, for that matter, no clear efforts could be made to put the operators to the test.
In 2025, the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683), was amended to make room for the recognition of the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes. This mother Act provided a broader framework that allows for the regularization of Okada business in Ghana.
In order to give effect to the general provision in the Act, LI 2519 was passed with specific provisions bearing on qualification, registration and operation of Okada. The entire provisions from Regulations 164 to Regulations 177 are dedicated to the commercial operation of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles and their associated offences.
Let me attempt to look at some key provisions in LI 2519 in this regard.
Regulation 164 prohibits the use of a motorcycle, a tricycle, or a quadricycle for commercial purposes without holding a valid commercial rider’s licence issued by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA).
Regulation 165 provides for the conditions for the grant of a commercial rider’s licence. The provision requires an applicant for a commercial rider’s licence to be at least 21 years of age, have a valid National Identification Card, prove to be a member of a commercial road transport organization associated with motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles, and must have passed a medical examination determined by DVLA, a theory and practical test, and an in-traffic test and any other such tests determined by DVLA.
Regulation 166 makes provisions for renewal of a rider’s licence. A rider’s licence, like a driver’s licence, is expected to be renewed every two years.
Regulation 167 empowers DVLA to suspend or revoke a commercial rider’s licence where the licence holder is convicted of reckless or dangerous riding, use of a motorcycle, tricycle or quadricycle for an unlawful activity, or fails to renew the licence every two years.
Regulation 168 deals specifically with the registration of motorcycles, tricycles or quadricycles. It provides that no person shall operate a commercial motorcycle, tricycle or quadricycle without registration with DVLA. Upon application to register a commercial motorcycle, tricycle or quadricycle, the applicant must prove ownership, and evidence that it has met the standards for roadworthiness set by DVLA, and paid the prescribed registration fee.
Regulation 169 and 170 provide for matters related to road certification and issuance of the same for commercial motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.
Regulation 171 provides for safety measures expected of operators of commercial motorcycle, tricycle, and quadricycle. Key among the provisions is to stick within the maximum number of passengers determined by DVLA.
As noted earlier, LI 2519 requires commercial riders to be members of unions or organizations associated with motorcycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. As a result, Regulation 172 spells out the responsibilities of such unions or organizations. In addition, Regulation 173 also spells out the responsibilities of an owner of a commercial motorcycle, tricycle, or quadricycle. It ensures that the owner’s responsibilities do not end by simply buying any of the equipment and going to sleep.
Specific responsibilities have been provided for riders of commercial motorcycles under Regulation 174 of LI 2519. Key among them is that a rider or a commercial motorcycle shall not ride without a valid licence issued by DVLA; ride without wearing a crash helmet; give a pillion rider (passenger) a ride without making available protective crash helmet; give a child below the age of six a ride, unless the child is seated between the rider and an adult pillion rider, and the child and the adult pillion rider both wearing crash helmet among others. Subregulation (3) of Regulation 174 prohibits a motorcycle from running a red light at a signalled intersection.
Responsibilities have also been specifically placed on riders of commercial tricycles or quadricycles. These include the need to ensure the display of rear number plates in a visible manner, no parking at undesignated areas, directions on overtaking, as well as prohibition from running red light at traffic signal points.
A pillion rider (passenger) on a commercial motorcycle has necessarily been given specific responsibilities to conform to while on a commercial ride. The pillion rider is expected to accept to ride as a commercial rider only after wearing a protective crash helmet, among other responsibilities.
Regulation 177 spells out the related offences to commercial motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles.
Having looked at the provisions of the new LI 2519, there is a need to look at the responsibilities of the DVLA in giving effect to the commercial operation of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles, which I shall refer to going forward as motorcycle(s).
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) is expected to make distinctions in the current Licence Category A that allows for the riding of motorcycles. There must necessarily be a licence for private motorcycle riders and another for commercial motorcycle riders to make easy for road traffic enforcement.
In addition, the Authority is also expected to provide different licence plates for differentiating between commercial motorcycles and private motorcycles. This will also help in traffic enforcement as it will become easy to separate commercial motorcycles from private ones.
In order to give meaning to these efforts aimed at regulating the commercial use of motorcycles on our roads, we must first arrest the chaos on the streets. This chaos includes riding for commercial purposes without holding the requisite licence, riding without proper training, riding without helmets, riding without reflective clothes for good visibility, riding without side mirrors, among others.
Going forward, every applicant for a rider’s licence must go through training and examination and only upon passing the required exams is one issued with a commercial rider’s licence. The existing riders who hold licences should be required to remain riders of private motorcycles until proven competent to operate commercially by passing the required examinations.
At the point of registering a motorcycle for commercial purposes, the motorcycle must have two functioning side mirrors, two crash helmets, at least one reflective item of attire, and must have passed other roadworthy requirements including good tires, functional indicator lights, good shock absorbers, among others. It is only upon passing these basic safety requirements, in addition to other associated regulations spelt out in LI 2519, that one gets a motorcycle registered for commercial operations.
Stephen Attuh
Director, Corporate Affairs, DVLA
Follow the story
