The debate over road safety and economic survival has taken center stage following a directive by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) to halt the commercial operations of Toyota Voxy vehicles.
In a pointed critique shared on his official Facebook page, the Member of Parliament for Akyem Swedru and Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Roads and Transportation, Hon. Kennedy Nyarko Osei, expressed deep concerns over the potential fallout of the decision.
While acknowledging the paramount importance of road safety, Hon. Osei argued that a total ban is an extreme measure that fails to account for the country’s fragile employment landscape.
”In as much as I agree that we need to take our safety issues on our roads seriously, I think these directives by the NRSA are too harsh and will worsen the unemployment situation in the country,” the MP stated.
The Toyota Voxy, a popular multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), has become a staple for many small-scale transport operators in Ghana.
The MP believes that removing them from the commercial space entirely will rob thousands of drivers and their families of their primary source of income.
Rather than a blanket ban, Hon. Osei proposed a more balanced approach.
He suggested that the NRSA could achieve safety goals by regulating how and where these vehicles operate, rather than stopping them altogether.
Specifically, he suggested a 20-kilometre radius limit for commercial use.
He wants the NRSA to create a framework that ensures these vehicles operate within safe parameters without being phased out.
”What the government could have done was to limit the distance these cars could travel,” he noted.
“For example, the NRSA could have come out with guidelines to restrict these cars from traveling beyond 20 kilometres for commercial purposes.”
Perhaps the most striking point in the MP’s argument was the perceived inconsistency in government policy.
He questioned why the state would move toward regularizing “Okada” (motorcycle taxis) while simultaneously banning the Toyota Voxy.
”We cannot legitimise the operations of Okada and even go further to back their operations by laws and decide to ban the operations of Toyota Voxy for commercial purposes,” the lawmaker argued.
As the Ranking Member on the Roads and Transportation Committee, Hon. Osei’s comments carry significant weight.
He maintained in his statement with a direct appeal to the NRSA to return to the drawing board.
He urged the authority to reconsider the ban and prioritize the development of clear, sustainable operational guidelines that protect both the lives of passengers and the livelihoods of transport workers.
By 1960news.com
