Is The Ghana Government’s Okada Car Project A Bust?

In 2021, the Government rolled out its “Okada4CODA” project whereby a total of 200 Bajaj Qute cars were to be distributed to commercial motorbike riders, popularly known as ‘Okada’, as part of efforts to reduce motorbike-related accidents in the country.

The project was spearheaded by the Coastal Development Authority (CODA). Each vehicle was estimated to cost about 24,000 GHC which would cost about GHC 4 Million in total cost excluding shipping and handling.

Two years later on and the project doesn’t appear to have done much in terms of swaying the majority of riders to purchase these vehicles. So what went wrong?

Initial Requirements

Chief Executive Officer of CODA, Jerry Ahmed Shaibu, on the delivery of the vehicles stated that each vehicle would cost GH¢25,000 and prospects could choose to pay GH¢41 per day out of 20 working days in a month; or GH¢833 per month within a period of two years after which the cars become theirs.

He added that the full fuel tank costs less than GH¢60 and each vehicle would have road-worthy certificates, unique branding, and tracking systems installed on them.

He concluded that prospects would also enjoy free maintenance after the first 1,000km.

Pushback

The Motor Riders Association of Ghana (Okada) pushed back on the project and reiterated their earlier demands to make the commercial use of motorbikes a legal means of commercial transport.

The group stated that there needed to be safety regulations established and the push to make their users drive cars was a non-starter.

What Went Wrong

Lack of Consultation and Price

One issue faced by the project from the get-go was the lack of consultation on the project. The Motor Riders Association of Ghana (Okada) stated that they were not brought in for meetings on discussions on the use of the “Okada Cars”.

They also stated the pricing of the vehicles, which would require an initial downpayment of 5000 – 10,000 GHC, would be too expensive for a majority of their users.

Safety Concerns

Although there were concerns about safety with Okada riders, the Baja Qute vehicles have their own safety issues. The Qute received a rating of 1 star out of 5 in safety tests.

No Value For Riders

The main reason users partake in the use of Okada is to bypass the traffic situation which has continued to persist. The use of the new Bajaja vehicles, although much safer than motorbikes, did not help to address the point of getting through traffic congestions.

Where Are We Now

At the moment, it looks like the project has failed to take off despite about 70 of the vehicles being distributed.

Ironically, it has been reported that the Government is working with the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) to introduce a policy designed to regulate the usage of Okada.

The MTTD stated the Ministry of Transport had done a study and based on the results, the results show that there is a need to revise the law and supporting policies.

In many ways, the Ministry of Transport’s study should have superseded the Okada4Car project.

At the moment, it’s hard to not state that the project is a total bust.

Catch up on news and other tidbits on our WhatsApp Community Page, Twitter/X, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter to ensure you don’t miss out on any news.