The members of a pressure group named Concerned Drivers Association have registered their displeasure at the willingness of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to legalise commercial motorbikes, popular called Okada, as a means of creating jobs for the teeming unemployed youth.
According to the group, which draws its membership from the Ghana Private Road Transport Union (GPRTU), Progressive Transport Owners’ Association (PROTOA), Tiger and Co-operative, Committed and Concerned Drivers Association, said legalising Okada will only pose a threat to already existing jobs, specifically in the transportation sector.
The group’s protest at the NDC manifesto on legalisation of Okada was that it was not prudent for a government to create jobs while destroying existing ones, hence, legitimatising and recognising Okada is “amount to “robbing Peter to pay Paul.”
In at a press conference held yesterday in Accra, they said: “While we are not opposed to job creation for our Okada-riding brothers, the NDC seems to be oblivious to the effect of their promise to our livelihoods. For us, this back-tracking promise to legalise Okada amounts to robbing Peter to pay Paul. In other words, Okada riders will be given jobs whilst we lose our own. We will, therefore, not sit aloof for the NDC or any political party to legalise Okada.”
Nana Owiredu, Secretary of the Association, declared their utter rejection of the manifesto promise of the NDC to legalise Okada in Ghana.
He said the group cannot fathom or find any justification for a promise that essentially takes one group’s livelihood and dangle it before another group as a new opportunity.
Aside the unhealthy competition, the other concern has to do with the havoc and mayhem the riders will create on the roads for both professional and private drivers.
Already, okada riders are known for causing damage to tail lights, mirrors and body of vehicles, and would often fail to take responsibility of the menace they cause.
“Therefore, there is nothing to be gained from legalising Okada, except to increase road accidents and casualties, as well as the peace and stability of the transport industry. This is in addition to the unhealthy competition that may escalate indiscipline and accidents on our roads,” he pointed out.
The Secretary backed the Association’s stance with stunting statistics of motorcycle accidents in 2015 and 2017, which respectively rose from 2,289 to 3,487, adding: “The accident rate kept increasing, and in 2018 it reached 4,000, with a total of 732 deaths. We have heard arguments in certain quarters that accidents do happen with cars. Though unfortunately true, it is incomparable to the accident rates of Okada.”
While the Okada debate continues to rage on over the years after it was banned in 2012, he cautioned all that they would not tolerate any political party that would legalise Okada to pose a threat to their livelihoods.
He added: “We demand an immediate enforcement of the Road Traffic Regulation 2012, not the legalisation of Okada. They have a choice to either stop it or risk losing the support of our unions.”
Nana Owiredu stated that even in Nigeria where Okada emanated it has been outlawed when caught between the situation of jobs and bloodshed on its roads.
“We are opposed to the legalisation of Okada in Ghana because it amounts to risky endangerment of passengers’ lives and livelihoods of millions of our members. Although we cannot determine what political parties may promise in their manifestos, we will mobilise our teeming members to reject promises that threaten our safety and livelihoods,” he said.
The post Legalising Okada is tantamount to robbing Peter to pay Paul -Drivers appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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