ACCRA, December 12, 2025 — After years of mounting road fatalities and public outcry over traffic indiscipline, Ghana’s Parliament has adopted a landmark piece of legislation, the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill, 2025, that promises a dramatic restructuring of how the nation’s roads are used and regulated.
The amendment, championed by the Committee on Roads and Transportation, is the most comprehensive update to the Road Traffic Act, 2004, and focuses on three critical areas: significantly stiffening safety standards, lowering the barriers to youth employment, and formalizing the ubiquitous, yet long-illegal, commercial motorcycle sector.
Here is what citizens and businesses need to know about the new traffic regime:
1. Zero Tolerance for Drunk Driving: The BAC Limit Plunges
In a move aligning Ghana with global best practices, the new law drastically lowers the permissible Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC) limit for all drivers.
The current legal limit of 0.08 per cent—a threshold considered high by international standards—will be reduced to 0.05 per cent.
Scientific consensus and global studies have shown that impairment begins well before the 0.08% mark, leading to impaired judgment and reaction time.
This change is viewed by the National Road Safety Authority (NRSA) as a critical public health measure.
Key Safety Mandates:
- Child Safety in Vehicles: The law introduces strict new rules for transporting children. It is now prohibited to carry a child under the age of 12 years (or under 145 cm tall and weighing less than 36 kg) in the front seat of a vehicle. Furthermore, all children in rear seats must be properly secured using appropriate safety restraints.
- Emission Testing: In a bid to address climate change and environmental concerns, the amendment mandates motor vehicle emission testing. This measure will require vehicle owners to ensure their cars comply with national standards, adding an environmental component to annual roadworthiness checks.
2. Legalizing the ‘Okada’ Economy and Empowering Youth
Perhaps the most culturally and economically significant change is the official legalization and regulation of commercial motorcycle, tricycle, and quadricycle operations—commonly known as “Okada.”
For years, these services have flourished, providing essential transport links and employment, despite operating in a legal gray area.
The new Bill brings them into the formal transport economy.
- Commercial Licensing: Motorcycles and tricycles used for fare-paying passenger services must now be licensed and meet specified safety requirements under the Road Traffic Act. This will allow the DVLA and the NRSA to enforce safety and traffic standards, aiming to curb the high rate of accidents involving these operators.
- Lowered Driving Age for Commercial Vehicles: To boost youth employment and formalize the driver pool, the minimum age required to operate a commercial vehicle will be reduced from 25 years to 21 years.
The Parliamentary Committee also strongly recommended that the Ministry of Transport mandate the use of standardized uniforms for all licensed commercial riders.
This is intended to enhance accountability, make it easier to distinguish legal operators, and follow the regulatory models adopted by neighbors like Togo and Benin.
3. A Fundamental Shift in Vehicle Ownership
Finally, the amendment introduces a major administrative change aimed at improving law enforcement and documentation:
- Owner-Based Registration: Vehicle registration numbers will no longer be assigned to the motor vehicle or trailer itself. Instead, the number will be assigned to the owner of the vehicle. This measure is expected to simplify the tracking of ownership, facilitate law enforcement, and allow the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) to roll out a new, modernized number plate system.
Parliament officially passed the Road Traffic Amendment Bill 2025 on Thursday, 11th December.
The government hopes this sweeping legislation will reverse the deadly trends on the country’s roads and bring order to a rapidly evolving transport landscape.
“The Road Traffic Amendment Bill seeks to sanitise road transport services. We have had several issues involving road users, and this bill aims to introduce stricter punishment, enhance safety measures, and ensure the effective and efficient use of our roads,” Minister of Transport Joseph Nikpe Bukari told Parliament.
This article was edited with AI and reviewed by human editors
