Government has not abandoned Okada riders, union insists

The Commercial National Motor Riders Union (CNMRU) has dismissed claims that the government has failed commercial motorbike riders after receiving their support during the 2024 general election campaign.

The union described allegations by a group known as the Okada Riders Association (ORAG) as false and misleading, insisting that the government has taken concrete steps towards legalising and regulating commercial motorcycle operations.

In a statement issued after a press conference on August 18, the CNMRU stated that the government established a technical committee after the 2024 elections to conduct research and engage stakeholders on the regulation of Okada operations.

According to the union, it has been actively involved in the process, representing the interests of commercial motor riders across the country.

It added that a delegation of stakeholders travelled to Rwanda to study that country’s system for regulating commercial motorcycle operations.

The delegation included representatives of the CNMRU, the National Road Safety Authority, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) and the Ministry of Transport, the statement noted.

The union further stated that the bill on the regulation of commercial motorcycle operations has been laid before Parliament and is going through the legislative process.

“This is concrete progress, and it demonstrates that the government has not abandoned the Okada riders,” the CNMRU stated.

It also said sensitisation programmes were ongoing across the country to educate riders on road safety, licensing, responsible riding and the expected legal framework for commercial motorcycle operations.

The union noted that it was working with the government and the DVLA to bring mobile licensing services closer to riders and assist them in obtaining driving licences at subsidised rates.

It also welcomed plans to establish an electric motorcycle initiative in Ghana, which it said would provide commercial riders with access to environmentally friendly motorcycles under a work-and-pay arrangement.

The CNMRU explained that it supported President John Dramani Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the 2024 election campaign because of their commitment to address the legal and regulatory challenges facing commercial motor riders.

“We supported a commitment, and today we are witnessing concrete steps toward fulfilling that commitment,” it stated.

However, the union acknowledged that not all the challenges facing Okada riders had been resolved.

It urged commercial motor riders, the media and the public to distinguish between what it described as political propaganda and the work being undertaken to regulate the sector.

By: Jacob Aggrey