Parliament has passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill, 2025 seeking to legalize and regulate activities of commercial motorcycle riders.
Minister for Transport Joseph Bukari Nikpe in laying the report in parliament disclosed the Bill is seeking to overhaul safety mechanisms in the previous legislation including tougher sanctions for road traffic offenders.
“The Road Traffic Amendment Bill, 2025 seeks to sanitize the road transport services sector. In recent times we have been having a lot of issues that have to do with our road users and this bill seeks to introduce some stricter punishment to road users, ensure safety and provide effective and efficient usage of our roads.”
“The Bill seek to provide for limits in the termination of alcohol concentration in our drivers. of late we have realized that a lot of accidents are due to human factors that includes driving under the influence of alcohol and under stress driving. This bill seeks to bring about the limitation from 0.08 percent of alcohol concentration in drivers to 0.05 percent and this we believe will help sanitize our roads.” Bukari Nikpe added.
According to the minister the Act once assented to will create jobs for the youth who are desirous to earn a living or have employment within the road transport sector.
The bill also seeks to reduce age limit for commercial driving from 25 years to 21 years.
The Bill was passed under a certificate of urgency thereby suspending of the regular processes ordinary bills go through.
Presenting the report of the Road and Transport Committee, the Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Isaac Adjei Mensah noted that the purpose of the Road Traffic Amendment Bill 2025 is to amend the Road Traffic Act,2004 (Act 683) to provide for the limit for the determination of alcohol concentration in drivers, the use of motorcycles, tricycles and quadricycles for commercial purposes.
The former deputy road and highway minister added that the Bill will help to develop standards for seat belts and other safety equipment, to reduce the age restriction on commercial drivers and to provide for motor vehicle emission testing.
