A study conducted by the Divisional Delegation of Transport indicates that about 2,000 Commercial Bike Riders fondly called Okada Riders in Meme Division don’t possess the Category ‘A’ Drivers License. This is a key reason for the huge numbers of road accidents caused by this mode of transport, as the riders have no knowledge of the highway code.

It is against this backdrop that the Meme Divisional Delegation of Transport in collaboration with some Driving School Centers in Kumba are currently training about 500 bike riders with the target of reaching 1,500 when the exercise wrapped up on October, 24 2014, on how to use the high way code.

In a Press briefing with THE SUN, in his office recently, the Divisional Delegate, HRH Chief Njilah Isaiah Tata, disclosed that the training is a special assignment which has been given by the Minister of Transport, as a result of a project he wrote to the Minister of Transport, stating that for more than a year in Meme, it has been very difficult for the riders in division to have training through the driving schools, one of the reasons being that most of them are illiterate and another reason being that they are just reluctant because the driving test usually take place in Buea.

Thus, he appealed to the minister, after collecting a total of 1,222 names for bike riders that were ready for the training. He opined that the Minister approved the request and from this approach it will go a long way to reduce accidents on a daily basis by the bike riders as they will be well equipped on the high way code.

The Delegate noted that they are emphasizing on the high way code and that the bike riders will be trained first on the high way code and then on the road for the practical exercise.

The Delegate noted that after the test, for those riders who will be successful, the list will be taken to Yaounde where the Minister will sign the result and at the end a category A license will be issued to the riders. He also hinted that as a pilot project, if they succeed it will be extended to other parts of the country.

The Divisional Delegate of Transport for Meme also emphasised that after this training the control will not tolerate any bike rider who will be found on the high way without the category A license because this is a golden opportunity for the riders given that if they have to go to the driving school they will be paying more than FCFA 100,000 but passing through the Delegation they wont pay up to FCFA 20,000.