'Okada' accidents top cases at Korle-Bu - Medical Association

He said the situation is putting pressure on doctors and the meager resources available at the hospital to treat the patients.

His reactions come at the back of the Member of Parliament for Asawase, Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak who called for a solid foundation to review the law that forbids the use of motorcycles.

According to Muntaka who doubles as the Minority Chief Whip, the commercial use of 'Okada' should be legalised due to its contributions to the Ghanaian economy.

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In a statement on the floor of the House on Thursday, March 28, 2019, he said the benefits outweigh the negatives associated with their operations.

In 2012, the use of motorbikes for commercial transport was outlawed under Regulation 128 (1 – 4) of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 which states that: "The licensing authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a fare-paying passenger."

The law also prohibits any person from using a motorcycle or tricycle for commercial purposes except for courier and delivery services, while it also prohibits pillions from riding on a motorcycle or tricycle as paying passengers. Offenders are liable to fines or imprisonment.

Muntaka arguing for the lifting of the ban on the usage of motorcycles for business purposes said "Even though these Okada operators are working hard to make a living, their activities have been described by some people as counterproductive because many of them flout road traffic regulations. They fail to wear protective clothing such as helmets, thereby putting their lives and those of their clients in danger. Some of them ride recklessly resulting in road accidents.

"These negative tendencies necessitated a call for an outright ban of the practice and also some of the major reasons that initially influenced the passage of the law. But it is my considered view that the benefits outweigh the social costs and as such we cannot kill the goose that laid the golden eggs by this country’s continuous ban on the use of motorcycle or tricycle for commercial purposes."

READ MORE: Legalise Okada - Asawase MP Muntaka Mubarak

But Dr. Justice Yankson of the GMA disagreed and explained that it is a disaster waiting to happen.

The use of 'Okada', has become the new-found trade for many young people across the country. 

In Accra for instance, the Okada fever has caught up with all corners of the city such that the traveling public now turns to patronise the Okada instead of taxis.