Ban on ‘aboboyaa’ postponed to February 2022

The effective date for the ban on the operations of motorised tricycles, popularly known as aboboyaa, on highways and major roads in the Greater Accra Region has been moved from November 1, this year to February 1, next year.

This is to make room for more engagement, education and sensitisation to ensure the successful implementation of the directive.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Henry Quartey, in his address at the launch of the Operation Clean your Frontage in Accra last Friday, had fixed the starting date for tricycles to stop using major roads for November 1, this year, while the ban from using the Accra-Tema Motorway was to start immediately.

Press conference

However, within 72 hours of announcing the dates, the regional minister, at a press conference in Accra yesterday, said “effective November 1st, 2021, no motorised tricycle should ply the motorway”.

“However, in line with the intended exercise, all motorised tricycles should keep away from all major highways and principal streets and restrict their operations to community riding by February 1, 2021,” he said.

“This three-month grace period is to ensure that proper education and sensitisation is done to ensure the successful implementation of the directive,” Mr Quartey added.

The ban is in line with road traffic regulations banning the use of tricycles.

Regulation 128 (1-4) of the Road Traffic Regulations 2012 states, inter alia: “The licensing authority shall not register a motorcycle to carry a fare-paying passenger.”

Why the directive

The regional minister observed that most of the tricycles were used for refuse collection activities but had no proper disposing mechanisms.

Due to that, he said, most of them ended up dumping the refuse along principal streets, thereby adding to the already existing insanitary situation in the region.

That, he said, had brought about the need for the implementation of a policy which would regulate their activities.

Transfer site

However, in order not to create a situation that would lead to unemployment, he said, waste management companies had been contacted to have transfer sites in their respective assemblies to enable the tricycles to continue to operate.

In line with that, he said, the GARCC was liaising with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to set up zonal registration centres in the assemblies to register all tricycles in the region.

”All users of aboboyaa will be registered in their respective assemblies. They will be given riders’ licences, while their tricycles will be insured. The assemblies will also provide them with business operating permits.

“We are allowing a grace period of almost 90 days for all these processes to be completed, while we embark on a massive sensitisation programme, so that we can ensure strict compliance when the directive is implemented,” Mr Quartey said.

Regulation

He said all owners of unregistered or uninsured motorcycles and tricycles had up to November 30, this year to regularise their documentation.

Failure to comply, he said, would result in riders being arrested, prosecuted and made to acquire valid licences.

Where the motorcycles and tricycles remained unregistered, he said, owners or riders must possess and provide valid shipping documentation.

Additionally, the regional minister said, all motorcycle and tricycle riders should observe all road traffic regulations, stating that riders who ran the red light, as well as violated other traffic regulations, would be arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Quartey also instructed that all motorcycle and tricycle riders should wear the appropriate gear, which included reflective jackets, helmets, knee and elbow protectors and boots, where applicable.

He said riders who went contrary to the directive would have their motorbikes and tricycles impounded and given a maximum of one month to explain why the bikes should not be disposed of, in accordance with C.I. 76 of the Ghana Police Service.

“I would kindly urge you all to support this campaign with sensitisation and massive educational programmes to create awareness among the citizenry in our collective effort to make the Greater Accra work,” Mr Quartey said.