Authorities impound nearly 100 unlicensed courier riders in Accra

Nearly 100 motorbike couriers in Accra have found themselves on the wrong side of the law after a renewed enforcement exercise by the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission.

The operation, which targeted unlicensed riders operating across the capital, led to the impoundment of dozens of motorbikes, disrupting the daily work of many riders who depend on deliveries for their livelihood.

For some of those affected, the experience has been both sudden and costly. Each rider was issued an on-the-spot fine of GH¢600 before being allowed to retrieve their motorbikes, adding financial pressure to an already competitive industry.

The crackdown follows an earlier directive by the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovations, which requires all courier operators, both companies and individual riders, to register, obtain licences, and be integrated into the Integrated Courier and Logistics Management System (ICOLMS-Ghana). That exercise, which began in August 2025, was temporarily suspended after facing resistance from sections of the courier community.

Now, authorities appear determined to enforce compliance.

Speaking to Citi News on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, the Commission’s Public Relations Manager, Nii Yeboah Burgesson, acknowledged that the latest operation did not go entirely smoothly at first, as some riders pushed back against the exercise.

However, with the involvement of the police, the situation was brought under control, allowing officials to carry out the enforcement.

“We are a commission, but we are working together with the Ghana Police Service to get the motorbikes to take them through the administrative process,” he said.

Despite the initial tension, there are signs of progress. According to the Commission, some of the affected riders have since begun taking steps to regularise their operations by going through the licensing process.

NA/BAI

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