The Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Professor Alex Dodoo, has called for rules and regulations regarding road safety to be enforced in the country.

Speaking on standards and safety in the nation, he averred that with road safety measures, there should be strict enforcement of the law due to recent incidents.

“It’s about time we enforce the rules. We have to enforce ‘Bugabuga’. We have to enforce to the point where we will be sent to court and some of us are willing to be crucified for it.”
Professor Alex Dodoo

Professor Dodoo intimated that when it comes to the enforcement of rules in the country, some of those incharge put themselves “in a state of inertia” and as such proper enforcement isn’t done.

“How can you live in a country where Okada comes against you with effrontery and they look in your eyes as if to say, if you like come.”
Professor Alex Dodoo

Speaking on the deaths on roads in the country, he intimated that although other vehicles are blamed, motorcycles should be of great focus.

“Most people are focusing on the bullion vans and trucks amongst others. As much as they may have their grievances, there is a road safety issue here. The issue is the Okada’s [motorcycle].”
Professor Alex Dodoo

Depsite the constant discussion on the harms Okada’s cause, Professor Dodoo asserted that it has become “sort of a political issue”.

The GSA head indicated that recent statistics by the MTTD shows that Okada is contributing to more deaths on the various roads than other vehicles.

Ghana Automotive Code

Professor Dodoo disclosed that GSA will very soon roll out the Ghana Automotive Code to help regulate the activities of motorists in the country.

The GSA Director General indicated that the initiative comes after the GSA was granted a policy directive by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to act as the regulator of vehicles in the country.

“We know for a fact Okada has been greatly contributing to the cause of the death. Okada’s are not regulated and because of this most of their drivers do not follow traffic directives. They behave as though the road is theirs; putting lives at risk.”
Professor Alex Dodoo

According to Professor Dodoo, about 50 percent of road crashes in the country can be attributed to commercial motorbikes popularly known as “Okada”.

“The amount of deaths attributed to Okada is too much. The contribution of Okada to death, now, I don’t know whether we can quantify. MTTD has been publishing the figures but we know for a fact that Okada has moved from being number ten on the list to number one or two of the cause of death.”
Professor Alex Dodoo

According to Professor Dodoo, the nation has reached a period where the safety of Ghanaians can only be ensured by following the rules and as such it must be enforced.