The National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has begun a six-month sensitisation drive for commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators in the Upper East Region as authorities move to bring the rapidly growing sector under the new legal framework governing commercial motorcycle operations in Ghana.
The initiative formed part of a road safety training workshop held at the Conference Hall of the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) in Bolgatanga, bringing together commercial tricycle and motorcycle operators alongside executives of their respective unions.
The operators were taken through the requirements of Legislative Instrument (LI) 2519, which provides the legal framework for the commercial use of motorcycles in Ghana.
The training focused on practical issues including responsible driving, passenger safety, valid driving licences, timely licence renewal, traffic regulations, registration and identification requirements, as well as the need for operators to avoid overloading.
A key change highlighted during the engagement was the introduction of yellow commercial number plates for vehicles used for commercial purposes.
Operators were also cautioned against carrying passengers beyond the approved capacity of their tricycles, a practice the NRSA said could increase the risk of crashes and serious injuries.
Head of the NRSA in the Upper East Region, Eric Anokye Fordjour, said the Authority had deliberately created a six-month transition period to allow operators to understand the new requirements before full enforcement.
“We have a six-month transition to sensitise operators so that they know the requirements that are embedded in this LI,” he said.
Mr Fordjour also stressed the importance of union membership, saying organised operators would be easier to supervise and regulate.
“Every operator must belong to a union, and that is very, very important because the union will be supervised,” he said.
The Chairman of the National Union of Tricycle Operators Ghana in the Upper East Region, Yakubu Ayamga, welcomed the new regulations, describing them as long-awaited recognition of an industry that has become an important source of employment for young people.
He said operators were prepared to comply and disclosed that the union had begun organising its members even before the passage of LI 2519.
Regional Organiser of the National Union of Tricycle Riders Association, Adingo Jonas, also pledged to extend the sensitisation to operators who were not present at the workshop.
He appealed to passengers to inform riders in advance where they intend to alight, arguing that this would allow riders to signal properly and warn other road users before stopping.
The NRSA says the ongoing sensitisation is expected to improve compliance, strengthen accountability and contribute to safer roads as commercial motorcycle and tricycle operations become increasingly integrated into Ghana’s transport system.
Source: bolgafmonline.com |102.7 MHz | Mary Aperika| Bolgatanga
