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Mahama said the commercial use of motorcycles, popularly known as ‘Okada’, has created more jobs for the youth than government’s Nation Builders Corps (NABCO).
According to him, the Okada business has also provided more jobs than the Youth Employment Agency (YEA).
“This is a service that has come to stay. Whether you legalize it or not you cannot stop it and so why behave like the ostrich and bury your head in the sand,” Mahama told XYZ TV.
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“These okadas have created more jobs in this economy than any government job-related policy.
“It has created more jobs than NABCo, it has created more jobs than YEA and all those artificial job creation programs.”
Mahama first revealed his plans to legalise the okada business when he addressed some chiefs of Kpando in the Volta Region as part of his tour of the region last week.
However, the use of motorbikes and tricycles for commercial purposes in any form is currently against Ghana’s Road Traffic Regulations 2012 (L.I 2180).
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer noted that it would be better to regulate the business to allow young people make a living out of it, since it is already happening.
“These young people are living under harassment because it is illegal and so the police harass them; they stop them from time to time and take money off them and all that.
“And so, my suggestion is that we should legalize it and regulate it to make it safer by training the riders, ensuring that the riders observe all the safety precautions and provide a helmet for the passenger,” Mahama added.