Nat’l Tymes News Desk
THE NATIONAL Road Safety Authority (NRSA) has raised alarm over the sharp rise in motorcycle crashes and fatalities in Ghana, revealing that rider deaths surged by 1,547.7 percent between 2001 and 2022.
The figures were presented at a stakeholder engagement with some group of Okada riders in Accra yesterday by the Deputy Director of Planning and Programmes at the NRSA, Danis Yeribu, who warned that motorcycles are becoming one of the country’s fastest-growing road safety threats.
According to data presented under the theme “Our Riders,” motorcycle crashes increased by 26.9 percent in 2025, with January 2026 alone recording 610 rider-involved crashes. The figure accounted for 29 percent of all vehicle crashes recorded during the month and represented an 18 percent increase over the same period last year.
The NRSA also disclosed that motorcycles made up 72 percent of all cycle-related crashes in 2025, compared to tricycles at 25 percent, bicycles at 2 percent, and animal-drawn carts at 1 percent.
In response to the worsening trend, the Authority announced a new regulatory framework aimed at tightening control over commercial motorcycle and tricycle operations, popularly known as okada and pragia services.
Under Regulation 155, all commercial motorcycle operators will be required to obtain operational permits from their respective District Assemblies before operating within any district. The assemblies will have the authority to determine approved routes, operational zones, and local safety requirements.
The NRSA further revealed that all commercial motorcycle and tricycle unions or transport companies must now be registered and licensed before commencing operations. Operators will also be required to meet conditions relating to fleet management, regional presence, rider dress code, code of conduct, and periodic road safety training.
Mr. Yeribu said the measures form part of broader interventions to improve rider safety, enforce standards, and reduce the increasing number of crashes involving motorcycles and tricycles across the country.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
