It is a worrying phenomenon in Tamale, capital of the Northern Region to see children packed behind motorcycles to school.
Though a dangerous practice, it a beautiful scene to watch how men and women maneuver in between the few visible cars and tricycles.
Not even the red lights from the traffic can stop them. But how dangerous is this to the children and other road users?
Motorcycle is the commonest means of transport for people in the northern parts of the country. It is estimated that almost every household has a motorbike.
Unfortunately, majority of these riders do not even wear helmet and ride at top speed without considering the safety of the children they pick.
Its use as a means for transporting school children is becoming increasingly popular in Tamale because of poor public and private transportation systems. It is common to see children packed behind motorbikes.
Whereas some believe it is cost effective, others say it’s dangerous.
Adiza Mbemah, has been transporting her three children on a motorbike her husband bought for her after he was transferred to Sunyani and moved there with their 2017 registered Toyota vitz.
“He used to carry them to school but since he left, I have been doing this by myself. It is economical to use the motorbike because in a month a tricycle rider will charge over 500 for the three children but with the motorbike, I spend less than 200 cedis a month,“ she explained.
“It is dangerous I know, but you see once Allah is keeping us safe, Alhamdulilah,” she said.
Motorcycle crashes account for a significant share of the deaths and disabilities that result from road traffic accidents.
Figures from the Northern Regional Office of the National Road Safety Authority for 2021 to 2023 reveal that 352 motorcycle crashes occurred.
266 of this figure got seriously injured with 99 deaths recorded.
Checks from the Accident and Emergency Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital reveal, 80 percent of road fatalities cases reported at the hospital are as a result of motorbike crashes
“We record at least ten cases a day and if you multiply that by the number of days in a month by a year then you can see the impact. It is a serious issue here since that’s the dominant means of transport here,” the officer explained.
Section 14 of the Road Traffic Act, 2004 (ACT 683) talks about Carrying of Children in Motor Vehicles.
It says, “A person who drives a motor vehicle on a road when a child of five years or under five years is in the front seat of the motor vehicle commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding 100 penalty units or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.”
Well, the safety of these children is as important as their means of transport.
But whether or not the National Road Safety Authority and the relevant stakeholders will enforce this regulation to protect these young ones is another matter.
By Christopher Amoako
