{"id":2438,"date":"2025-12-12T18:10:55","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T18:10:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/?p=2438"},"modified":"2025-12-19T19:44:44","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T19:44:44","slug":"okada-legalisation-expands-youth-economic-opportunities-tain-mp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parliamentnews360.com\/index.php\/okada-legalisation-expands-youth-economic-opportunities-tain-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"VIDEO: Okada Legalisation Expands Youth Economic Opportunities \u2013 Tain MP"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Member of Parliament for the Tain Constituency, Hon. Sulemana Adama, has welcomed the passage of the Road Traffic Amendment Bill into law, describing it as a fulfilled promise that will expand economic opportunities for young people while improving transport coverage across the country.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking in an interview with parliamentnews360.com, Hon. Adama noted that the new law, which regularises the commercial use of motorcycles and tricycles\u2014popularly known as Okada\u2014introduces clear safeguards to address safety and social concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to him, the law sets a minimum age of 21 years for persons seeking to engage in the Okada business, a provision he believes protects school-going children from dropping out to pursue commercial riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t take people out of school\u2014people who are in school\u2014to come and engage in these services. So I believe that economically, it increases opportunities for our young people,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Tain MP stressed that beyond job creation, the law provides additional safety measures for riders and passengers, while also expanding transportation access, particularly in underserved areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt provides additional safety measures for our young people, and we are also going to increase coverage and opportunities for transportation. So I believe that it\u2019s a well-delivered promise and offers more economic opportunity for our youth,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hon. Adama rejected claims that Parliament ignored the risks associated with commercial motorcycle operations, explaining that the law contains specific provisions to mitigate them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you go through the bill that has been passed for the President\u2019s assent, you will realise that these risk factors have been taken into consideration. You need some safety measures in order to operate an Okada\u2014it\u2019s not just blanket approval,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He acknowledged that while all forms of transport carry risks, Parliament has taken responsibility to reduce those risks through regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere is risk in all transport means, but the safety measures are very critical. Parliament has taken responsibility to put in place measures to ameliorate the risks associated with this business,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The MP further indicated that the new law will make it easier for Members of Parliament to support and empower young people engaged in the Okada business, now that it is no longer illegal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a Member of Parliament, it was sometimes very difficult to empower young people when some of the things they were doing were illegal. Now that we have legal backing, it empowers us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He revealed that organised Okada riders\u2019 associations already exist across the Tain Constituency and called for efforts to regularise and resource them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat we need to do now is to regularise them and resource them to help them acquire tricycles and quadricycles to empower them economically,\u201d Hon. Adama stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He concluded that while Okada operations had already been ongoing informally, the passage of the law now gives the practice legitimacy and structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis law gives meaning to what already existed. We are good to go because there is now legal backing,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch the full video of the interview with the MP for Tain below:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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