Commercial motorcycle operators in Accra, known as Okada riders, have accused Motor Traffic and Transport Directorate (MTTD) officers of demanding unofficial payments during traffic operations.
They say they are often stopped and asked to pay without a clear explanation of any offence. One rider told Citi News: “All they say is they are doing an operation. They can take like GHC100, and sometimes GHC200.”
Some also claim little information is given after a stop, and that money is demanded at police stations before seized motorcycles are released. Because the bikes are their main source of income, they say even one payment can wipe out a day’s earnings.
Traffic offences are set out in the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), covering drink-driving, speeding, jumping red lights, phone use while driving and failure to use required safety gear. Official penalties are meant to follow a formal process, not informal roadside collections.
Riders say they are not against lawful enforcement. They want stops that state the offence clearly and do not come with unofficial payments.
The complaints come amid wider concern about bribery in traffic policing. Ghana Statistical Service data released in August 2026 put the MTTD’s bribery interaction rate at 54.6 per cent, the highest among police units.
