Story by: Sheila Setori Mensa
In accordance with its mandate and commitment, the Coastal Development Authority has designed the CODA Drive initiative to eradicate poverty and create wealth for commercial drivers, okada and pragya riders. The new initiative is also expected to help address road safety within the Coastal Development Zone.
In an interview with the media last Thursday to outdoor the vehicles, Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib explained that under the CODA Drive intervention, CODA will offer Bajaj Qute four-passenger quadricycles to drivers and okada riders on hire purchase for use as public transport.
The operation of CODA Drive will initially be concentrated in rural areas and city outskirts in the six regions of the Coastal Development Zone.
It will be recalled that, the main opposition party, National Democratic Congress in its Peoples Manifesto indicated that, it would legalize the operation of Okada business.
This webt down well with the okada riders however, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led government called such as act as needless and suggested that, it would rather provide cars to okada riders as an alternative to the NDC policy.
Benefits
The CEO elaborated that CODA Drive has many economic and social benefits including but not limited to the income earning opportunities for thousands of Ghanaian families as well as reduction in road crashes and consequent reduction in injury and death. CODA Drive is being funded under the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP).
