BY Nadia Ntiamoah
A new government directive requiring individual motorcycle delivery riders, popularly known as okada riders, to obtain courier licences at a cost of over GH₵1,000 per motorbike has sparked strong resistance from operators who say the policy could cripple their livelihoods.
On Thursday, August 21, 2025, members of the Concerned Delivery Riders Association (CDRA) staged a protest at Asaase Radio in Cantonments, Accra, voicing their frustrations over what they described as an “unfair and unnecessary” imposition.
Riders cry foul over “double regulation”
Speaking to journalists, the association’s leader, Ankamah Nana Yaw Barimah Ebenezer, said the directive was redundant since most riders already operate under established fleet partners such as FH and Express Street Fleet.
“Every rider already pays 5% of each delivery to fleet partners. That covers insurance, compliance and registration. Why should we pay another GH₵1,070 on top of that?” Ebenezer questioned.
He explained that courier and ride-hailing platforms like Uber and Yango only work with fleets that own at least ten motorbikes.
According to him, the government’s decision to impose an additional licence fee on individual riders amounts to duplicating costs.
“This is double regulation,” he argued. “Our fleet partners have completed all the necessary registrations. Imposing another licence fee on us as individuals will collapse our work.”
Livelihoods at risk
Several riders who joined the protest shared fears that the new directive could push many out of business.
Some said they were students relying on delivery services to fund their education, while others described it as their sole source of income for their families.
“If the government goes ahead with this policy, a lot of riders will lose their jobs and be left with no alternative,” one protester told reporters.
The association has since called on the Mahama administration to withdraw the individual licensing requirement and instead strengthen existing systems through the already-recognised fleet operators.
“We are appealing to the government to listen to us,” Ebenezer said. “We are already contributing to the economy, and delivery services have become a lifeline for many people. Please don’t destroy our work with unnecessary costs.”
Regulatory background
The controversy comes against the backdrop of recent government efforts to streamline taxation and compliance within the transport sector.
In December 2023, the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) issued a directive to ride-hailing companies including Uber, Yango, and Bolt to enforce Vehicle Income Tax (VIT) compliance among drivers. Under Section 22 of the Income Tax Regulations, 2016 (LI 2244), all commercial vehicle owners were made liable to pay income tax on a quarterly basis.
The GRA further mandated ride-hailing companies to:
Demand soft copies of valid VIT stickers from all drivers,
Validate the authenticity of the stickers with the GRA, and
Submit quarterly reports of all registered vehicles.
The directive took full effect on January 1, 2024, requiring vehicle owners to register with the GRA and pay their VIT using a shortcode system.
