Editorial
Check activities of tricycle operators
Tricycles, also known as ‘Pragya,’ have recently gained popularity as a form of public transportation in both urban and rural areas.
The use of “Pragya,” is an important source of employment for people in Accra, Kumasi, Ho, Cape Coast, Tamale, Bolgatanga, and other places.
Some commuters find it simple to patronise ‘Pragya’ as a mode of transportation because, in their opinion, it is inexpensive, easily accessible, and quick on the road due to riders’ ease in navigating through automobile traffic. However, many commuters and drivers now find the annoyances that tricycles create on busy roads to be unsafe as well.
Therefore, it urges the government to act quickly to either put a stop to their actions or to regulate them in order to restore order to the system.
Tricycles are widely used in India, China, France, the Philippines and Nigeria among others.
They are sometimes used to transport farm produce to markets to lower post-harvest losses. Others use tricycles for recreation, shopping, and exercise.
Even though they are little, tricycles have emerged as the “Kings of the Road” and are ubiquitous.
However, are their practices legal? Something that began as a little business around three years ago is steadily growing, and if it is not checked, the tricycle will eventually cover the entire community, mostly the cities.
Despite the fact that it has had a tremendous impact on transportation, its operations need to be regulated for safety reasons.
Some have suggested legalising it as a form of transportation to lower crime rates, as it has created employment for the youth.
At the moment, the legislation restricts the use of tricycles for commercial purposes rather than supporting it.
First of all, according to Regulation 128 (1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act LI 2180, the use of a motorbike or tricycle for a commercial purpose is prohibited.
It further states that motorbike or tricycle cannot be registered by the licensing authority to transport fare-paying passengers.
Section 128 (2) states that except for courier and delivery services, no one may use or permit the use of a motorcycle or a tricycle over which they have control for commercial purposes.
Also, Section 128 (3) establishes that no one may travel on a motorbike or a tricycle in exchange for a fare. Lastly, a person who violates Sub regulations (1), (2), or (3) commits an offense and is subject to a fine of up to 25 penalty units, a period of imprisonment of up to 30 days, or both upon summary conviction.
The operators passionately opposed recent attempts by the authorities to restrict the movement of these tricycles in metropolitan areas since, in their opinion, it provided a living for them and their families.
Even if tricycles are now a common mode of transportation, it is important to remember that some riders lack discipline: they break the law, do not follow the laws of the road, and ride carelessly and recklessly, which result in fatal accidents.
Aside from the fact that they are not particularly heavy, tricycles lack safety doors, and their riders annoy law-abiding road users.
Despite these difficulties, commuters frequently use tricycles, hence urgent action must be taken by the government to resolve these problems.
According to the current state of affairs, it appears that the government has to alter the law to make tricycle use legal while also enforcing rider behaviour restrictions.
In order to bring order to the system, stakeholders including the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA), Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD), the Driver, Vehicle and Licensing Authority (DVLA), Transport Unions and Tricycle Operators among others should have a forum to discuss a policy framework that will regulate the actions of these tricycle operators.
Dear Editor,
I WRITE to condemn the circumstances under which an accident victim died recently after three major hospitals reportedly turned him away due to what has earned a place in our local parlance as ‘no bed syndrome.’
Reports suggested that this motor rider who got knocked by a vehicle was taken to three major hospitals – Police Hospital, Greater Accra Regional Hospital (Ridge Hospital), and the Korle-bu Teaching Hospital – but they all claimed they had no beds.
But one may ask, would there ever be beds?
Such is the treatment Ghanaians endure every now and then when one visits our hospitals, especially the public ones which are run with the taxpayers’ money. Many a time when one visits the hospitals, the sight of patients admitted and lying on benches, and some sitting on chairs while receiving care, is visible to all; making one wonder why this particular motor rider was not admitted at any of the facilities, looking at his condition.
This leads to the reason for this letter, which is to bring out a perceived apathy against these motor riders, the majority of whom are referred to as ‘Okada’ riders.
Due to their recklessness on the roads and the inconvenience caused to commuters, people always speak ill about them; drivers equally have no regard for them. Every user of public transport would attest to this. These riders are blamed for every offence, even when it is obvious drivers may be at fault sometimes.
Motor riders have become like orphans on the road; people care less about them, and when they are unfortunately knocked down, no one cares about them.
This is the mischief our authorities and agencies, including the police, must seek to cure to make the road safe for all users.
These are young folks that want to make a living for themselves, and with no skill or education, ‘Okada’ rides have become their source of livelihood. They need the protection accorded drivers and commuters as well.
In other countries, some facilities have been provided to make their work safer, but in Ghana, we lack them, leaving them with no alternative than to share the available space with the cars.
What has happened should serve as a wake-up call on our authorities to aim to take a second look at the ‘Okada’ menace. With the numbers increasing, there should be a way to regulate them because no government would have the guts to ban it totally.
Drivers should be made to accept the reality that they are sharing the roads with them, and therefore the need for patience and tolerance.
For some of our hospitals, I suggest the Ministry of Health conduct their own investigations to see what patients go through in accessing medicare, which is even not for free.
Thank you, Editor, for the space.
F. Morgan, Kokrobite
Dear Editor,
THE heartbreaking death of 29-year-old engineer Charles Amissah in a hit-and-run accident has exposed once again the failures in our health system.
Even more painful is the fact that his father had previously donated beds to some hospitals, yet when his son needed urgent care, he was moved from one facility to another because there were ‘no beds.’
This is not only tragic but unacceptable. How can a country lose its bright young citizens simply because hospitals cannot provide emergency treatment? The ‘no bed syndrome’ has become a national disgrace, and Charles’ death is a reminder that reforms cannot wait.
Our hospitals must be equipped to handle emergencies, and accountability must be enforced. If donations are made to improve facilities, then those facilities must serve the people when it matters most. Ghana cannot afford to keep losing lives to negligence and poor infrastructure.
Charles Amissah’s death should be the turning point. Let us honor his memory by fixing the system so that no family would suffer this kind of preventable loss again.
Princess Wonovi
Accra
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