Okada Riders Association reject government quadricycles

Commercial motorcycle riders, popularly known as ‘okada’, have pledged to reject quadricycles provided by government for their operations.

According to the Okada Riders Association, the initiative is not a sustainable alternative to their business.

The programme, spearheaded by the Coastal Development Authority, is to help commercial motorcycle riders to give up their trade for a Bajaj Qute vehicle.

This would be given to the riders on a hire-purchase basis and gradually accelerate processes to phase out the ‘okada’ business.

But speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, the President of the Okada Riders Association, Michael Kofi Owusu, explained government is missing their point.

“None of them is ready to use any car for anything because it is not about the car,” he added on Friday, October 22.

He insisted that what they need is for their current business to be regularized to streamline their activities.

Mr Owusu also argued that eliminating the ‘okada’ business will not necessarily reduce the country’s increasing road traffic congestion.

“This [Bajaj Qute vehicle] will add up to the more slow-moving vehicles because they must also join the traffic and all that.”

According to the Association, these issues including the lack of training for riders would have been adequately solved if the government had engaged them in taking the decision.

Reacting to the development, the Coastal Development Authority expressed optimism that the initiative will gradually catch on.

CODA Chief Executive, Jerry Ahmed Shaibu added that vehicles are even oversubscribed as some 70 commercial motorcycle riders have already benefited from the new cars.

Mr Shaibu sees safety as paramount in the riders’ activities which must not be compromised by the dangers posed by riding ‘okada.’