Accra, Ghana - The use of motor cycles as taxis may be popular in a number of West African countries, such as Nigeria, Benin and Togo. However, in Ghana, operators of commercial motor cycles, known in Nigeria as 'Okada' and Benin  and Togo as 'Zemidjan', are facing a stiff battle to legalise their business. And on Tuesday, scores of them rode their motor cycles by to Parliament House in Accra to petition the lawmakers to amend the law that brands their business illegal.

Wearing T-shirts with identification numbers printed on them, they argued that their business employs hundreds of unemployed youth and is safe.

Their spokesman, Albert Acolatse, said they had organised themselves into identifiable associations with members being registered for easy identification.

He said they were doing a good job helping to ferry people across the Ghanaian capital at cheap fares and in good time.

However, even before the MPs begin deliberating on the petition, the police have stepped up their campaign against the commercial motor cycle operators, many of who were arrested on Tuesday.

The Commander of the Motor Traffic and Transport Unit (MTTU) of the Ghana Police Service, ACP Angwubutoge Awuni, repeated that the operations are illegal and he would not tolerate them on the roads.

Mr Joe Owusu, a Member of Parliament and former director of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, said the use of motor cycles as taxis is dangerous, environmentally unfriendly, expensive and they could clog the roads.

What Ghana needed, he said, was improved mass public transport system and train services.

Pana 03/02/2011