Delivery riders voice anger following arrests for licensing violations
Courier service operators in Accra have expressed frustration after more than 150 riders were arrested in a joint crackdown by the Ghana Police Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) and the Postal and Courier Services Regulatory Commission (PCSRC).
The arrested operators, many of whom work through ride-hailing platforms say they have been left without adequate support to meet licensing requirements and are struggling with the high costs involved.
“Now they say we should pay GH¢1,070 before we can work. If you don’t, you’ll pay GH¢600 as a fine. We are calling on them to reduce the price,” courier operator Daniel Laryea told Citi Business News.
Another operator, Emmanuel Nkebi, argued that digital platforms should shoulder more responsibility:
“We pay for Yango, so we are like third-party workers. If there’s an issue, they should go after Yango, not us. But instead of holding them accountable, they are coming after us who are working under them.”
Despite the grievances, regulators maintain the clampdown is necessary to sanitise Ghana’s booming courier and logistics sector.
The Commission said unlicensed operators not only evade taxes but also pose significant consumer protection and security risks.
Public Relations and Consumer Manager at the Commission, Edwin Nii Yeboah Burgesson, explained that businesses had been given a two-month grace period to comply but many ignored the directive.
“Because of the delivery services they are offering, the law mandates them to come for that license. Section 10 of the Act makes it a criminal offense to operate delivery services without a license from the Commission,” he said.
The arrests highlight ongoing tensions between regulators, ride-hailing platforms and operators in a sector seen as critical to Ghana’s e-commerce and logistics ecosystem.
