The Minister for Transport, Joseph Bukari Nikpe, on Tuesday, December 10, 2025, laid before Parliament the long-awaited Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to legalise and regulate commercial motorcycle and tricycle operations, popularly known as Okada.
The bill proposes amendments to the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (Act 683) and its accompanying Legislative Instrument (L.I. 2180) to permit the use of motorcycles, motor tricycles, and quadricycles for commercial passenger and goods transportation.
Key provisions in the bill include the establishment of safety standards such as mandatory helmets, reflective jackets, seat belts where applicable, and other protective gear for both riders and passengers. It also provides for licensing, registration, insurance requirements, designated operating zones, and a comprehensive regulatory framework to govern the sector.
Once enacted, the law will formally bring hundreds of thousands of Okada and pragya (tricycle) riders across the country into the regulated economy, ending years of prohibition and periodic crackdowns.
The move fulfils a major campaign promise made by President John Dramani Mahama. During both the 2020 and 2024 election campaigns, the President repeatedly pledged to legalise and regularise the Okada business, describing it as a critical source of livelihood for the youth that should be supported rather than criminalised.
Following the laying of the bill, Parliament is expected to refer it to the Roads and Transport Committee for detailed consideration and public hearings before debate and passage.
If passed, Ghana will join several other African countries, including Nigeria, Togo, Benin, and Rwanda, which have moved to regulate rather than ban commercial motorcycle transport.