By GhanaNewsPage 
A leading voice in transport and road safety advocacy, Dr. Godfred Akyea-Darkwah, has strongly urged lawmakers to introduce a clear and enforceable provision in Ghana’s emerging commercial motorcycle (okada) legislation that would ban children under the age of 16 from riding as passengers.
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Dr. Akyea-Darkwah, who serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Road Safety and Transportation Consultancies Ltd (RSTC), made this passionate appeal during an interview on Onua TV, emphasizing that allowing minors to ride on okadas exposes them to severe safety hazards and emotional trauma, especially on busy roads.
Child Safety Should Be a Legal Priority
In his interview, Dr. Akyea-Darkwah stressed that children under 16 lack both the physical coordination and emotional maturity to handle the stresses of being on a motorcycle, particularly when maneuvering through high-traffic areas or in emergency situations.
“We should not allow any child who is less than 16 years to sit on motorbikes,” he stated. “Their level of braveness is low, and when faced with large vehicles or risky maneuvers like squeezing between two cars, the child may experience panic, which can lead to them falling off or becoming unbalanced.”
Dr. Godfred Akyea-Darkwah
His concerns are not merely theoretical. Road traffic data in Ghana has consistently shown a rise in motorcycle-related accidents, with commercial riders being a major contributor. In 2023 alone, the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) reported over 1,400 motorcycle crashes, many involving vulnerable road users, including minors.
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Okada Legalization: Striking a Balance Between Utility and Safety
As the government moves toward formalizing okada operations through comprehensive legislation, Dr. Akyea-Darkwah believes that child safety must be front and center in policy decisions. Ghana’s Okada legalization bill, currently under review, introduces stringent operational standards for commercial motorcycle and tricycle riders.
Proposed Requirements for Okada Operators Include:
- Minimum age of 25 years
- Valid national ID card
- Mandatory commercial rider’s license issued by the DVLA
- Proficiency tests (theory, oral, and vision-based)
- Mandatory rider training programs
- Use of certified helmets with unique identification numbers
- Provision of passenger helmets
- Membership in recognized rider unions
- Strict adherence to speed limits and traffic regulations
Dr. Akyea-Darkwah applauded the framework but insisted that the ban on underage passengers must be explicitly stated in the legislation, rather than left to interpretation or assumed as common practice.
Overloading: A Major Contributor to Fatalities
Beyond child passenger safety, the road safety expert also warned against overloading of passengers on motorcycles, a rampant issue in many urban and rural parts of Ghana.
“When there’s an accident involving only the rider and one passenger, the injuries can be limited. But with three or four people crammed onto a single motorbike, the results can be catastrophic,” he said.
Overloading not only destabilizes motorcycles but also severely limits the rider’s ability to respond quickly in emergencies. In many instances, such practices have led to increased fatalities, especially in cases where children were among the passengers.
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Identifiable Helmets to Boost Law Enforcement
Another innovative proposal supported by Dr. Akyea-Darkwah is the use of uniquely numbered helmets for all okada riders. This, he said, would allow authorities to more easily track and identify violators of road traffic rules or individuals involved in hit-and-run incidents.
He believes this initiative would promote accountability and enhance the safety culture among commercial motorcyclists.
Training Is Non-Negotiable
The CEO of RSTC concluded by reiterating that formal, mandatory training must be a non-negotiable part of the okada legalization process. Proper rider education, he noted, would go a long way toward reducing road crashes, building rider professionalism, and increasing public confidence in using commercial motorcycles as a safe mode of transport.
“We cannot regulate okada operations effectively without comprehensive training. Every rider must understand the laws, respect road signs, and prioritize the lives of their passengers,” he added.
As Ghana edges closer to regulating its okada industry, the call for child-specific safety regulations adds a critical layer to the debate. With stakeholders like Dr. Akyea-Darkwah sounding the alarm, it is clear that any sustainable transport policy must strike a balance between economic necessity and public safety, especially for the country’s most vulnerable population — children.
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