The Minority Chief Whip and Member of Parliament for Asawase, Alhaji Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, has called for a review of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012(L.I. 2180).
Presenting a statement on the floor of Parliament on the call to legalise the commercial use of motorcycles in the country, Mr. Muntaka explained that there are opportunities that exist in the use of motorcycles and tricycles for commercial purposes in the country.
The Minority Chief Whip pointed out that motorcycles have become the preferred means of transport for rural folks because they have become the easiest and cheapest means of business transactions.
He indicated that the uses of motorcycles are predominantly utilised in the Northern parts of the country by farmers and even professionals.
Mr. Muntaka reiterated that farmers use motorcycles on a daily basis, to cart food stuff from their farms, while nurses and other health workers use it to access the hinterlands to dispense healthcare services.
He further explained that the travelling public in the major towns and cities now prefer to patronise motorcycles instead of taxis, and that it stems from the fact that the public wants to get through the thick traffic of the cities, to get to their destinations in good time.
Mr. Muntaka informed the House that what used to be a means of transport for rural folks is now a viable source of livelihood for many young men and their families who had little or no formal education.
Mr. Muntaka stated that the motorcycle business is also having a multiplying effect on the Ghanaian economy and that some of the riders save portions of their income from the business, to start other businesses while employing some of their family members.
He however, indicated that even though the motorcycle operators are working hard to make a living, their activities have been described by some people as counterproductive due to the breach of road traffic regulations by some of the operators.
Mr. Muntaka averred that some of the motorcycle riders fail to wear protective clothing, thereby putting their lives and those of their clients in danger.
He revealed that the negative tendencies associated with the operations of commercial motorcycles necessitated a call for an outright ban.
The Asawase MP indicated that the benefits of commercial motorcycle operations outweigh the social costs and, that the outright ban on the use of commercial motorcycles should be reviewed.
Deputy Minister for Transport’s contribution
In contributing to the statement of the Minority Chief Whip, the Deputy Minister for Roads and Transport, Mr. Daniel Nii Kwartei Titus-Glover, revealed that statistics from the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) in 2010, shows that more than 200 motorcycle riders were killed in road crushes, and 400 killed in 2017.
He averred that motorcycle riders are reckless and careless in their riding, and that they fail to obey road regulations.
The Deputy Minister for Transport who doubles as Member of Parliament for Tema East stated at the Plenary that, the operations of the commercial motorcycle riders contribute to the high crime rate in the country.
Mr. Titus-Glover pointed out that the Transport Ministry held a stakeholder engagement on the review of Section 128 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 and it was revealed that motorcycle accident is one of the leading cause of deaths in road crashes.
He stated that there is a lot of motor riders who do not respect police officers on duty and that most of the riders have not even registered their motorcycles.
The Ranking Member on the Roads and Transport Committee
The Ranking Member on the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport, Mr. Governs Kwame Agbodza, pointed out that the State’s ability to legitimise the commercial use of motorcycles, through taxation will generate revenue for the government.
He indicated that a legislation should be crafted to take care of the safety of the commercial operations of the motorcycles in the country.
The Ranking Member who doubles as a Member of Parliament for Adaklu explained that other countries such as India have commercialised the use of motorcycles and that Ghana can learn from India.
Mr. Agbodza stated that the use of motorcycles is convenient in transport, and also provides a form of employment for most of the youth.
Reaction from Hon. Dafeamekpor
A member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. Rockson-Nelson Etse Kwami Dafeamekpor, indicated that a legislation should be drafted, to legalise the operations of commercial motorcycles.
Mr. Dafeamekpor pointed out that the introduction of commercial motorcycles transportation are means of business support for most of the youth who just completed the Senior High School (SHS).
The Member of the Constitutional Committee who doubles as Member of Parliament for South Dayi explained that it is important for the government and Parliament to review existing laws banning the use of motorcycles for commercial purposes.
He however, added that law enforcement agencies should be able to identify those who use motor transport for crime and prosecute them.
Mr. Dafeamekpor indicated that motorcycle riders should be given adequate training on the safety and use of motorcycles, to mitigate most of the motor crushes on the road.
The statement was thereafter, referred to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transport Committee by the Speaker of Parliament, for deliberation and report.
The Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180)
In 2012, Parliament passed the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180) into law, to regulate road transport in the country.
Regulations 128 (1), (2) and (3) of the Legislative Instrument 2180 prohibits the use of motorcycles or tricycles for commercial purposes.
Regulation 128 (1) of LI 2180 states that the “Licensing Authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a fare-paying passenger.”
Section 128 (2) also states that a “person shall not permit a motorcycle or tricycle which that person exercises control to be used for commercial purpose, except for courier and delivery services”.
Section 128 (3) further stipulates that “a person shall not ride on a motorcycle or tricycle as a paying passenger.”
Source: GhanaJustice/S.Ayisi
