The Ghana Medical Association (GMA) has said it want a total ban of commercial motor riders, popularly called “Okada riders” to reduce accidents.
Dr Frederick Kwarteng, the Head of the Accident, Emergency and Orthopaedic Department, Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital told Ghana News Agency that,” “Until the government implements policies to regulate the use of motorbikes especially for commercial purposes, it should ban their operations to save lives. This is what we want,” he said.
According to him,most accidents in the festive season is due to the number of road traffic accidents caused by Okada men.
“And this is causing the victims to lose their lives, legs and arms, brains, wealth and entire social life,” he said.
“The traffic light says red and he crosses, speeding and riding recklessly. People use motorbikes in some jurisdictions and even in the North but we don’t hear about such injuries. But in Accra, it is often recorded because they are not being controlled, and even choose to create their own paths through traffic,” he said.
From December 21, 2019, to January 1, 2020, the Department admitted 79 vehicle accident victims, 58 motorcycle accident victims and one bicycle accident victim.
