Okada to be legalized by my government – Mahama assures

John Mahama, the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress, has assured of eliminating legal barriers to the commercialisation of transportation via motorcycle.

Mr. Mahama indicates that the current legal regime under the Driver and Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) does not allow the operation of motorcycles for commercial transportation in the country hence barring young unemployed Ghanaians encounter legal restrictions from the state.

Mr. Mahama concluded his tour in the Volta Region, with a promise that his second coming into office will consider legalising the operations of Okada riders.

He said that his government would introduce a training program to equip riders with some expertise in safety riding and transportation of people.

“I’ve seen young people who have finished school…they can’t find a job and so they look for something they can do and then many of our young people you see them riding motorcycles and transporting people from place to place, we call them Okada. But in our law they say Okada is illegal.

“But Okada is a reality, it has come stay. You can’t stop it. And so I have suggested and I say when we come into office, we will legalize Okada but we will regulate it. We will regulate it and we will give them training so that they are able to do their business in a safe manner without causing the lives of people. They must obey all the traffic regulations in order that they would be allowed to peruse their profession,” Mahama noted.