The Ghanaian government has announced that it will strictly enforce a law prohibiting preaching and hawking on moving public or commercial vehicles. The law, part of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519), aims to reduce distractions for drivers and promote road safety. For many Ghanaians, hearing a preacher on a long-distance bus or commercial vehicle is a familiar experience. However, the government argues that such activities can disturb passengers and potentially distract the driver.
The new regulations treat preaching and hawking in a moving public or commercial vehicle as a nuisance. The provision applies to activities inside vehicles such as commercial buses and trotros while they are moving. It does not prohibit preaching generally, nor does it outlaw religious preaching in Ghana. A person preaching at a church, religious gathering, market, or other public location is not targeted by this provision simply because they are preaching.
The restriction is part of a broader overhaul of Ghana's road-traffic enforcement regime. The Transport Ministry says the reforms aim to strengthen road safety, improve traffic-law enforcement, and ensure that road users understand their responsibilities. The renewed attention to preaching on buses is part of a much wider effort to enhance road safety in Ghana.
This is not a new ban, as Ghana already had a similar restriction under the Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180). The earlier regulations prohibited causing or permitting a nuisance, including preaching and hawking, on a public or commercial vehicle while it was in motion. The difference now is the stronger enforcement framework and tougher consequences under the 2026 regulations.
The penalty for preaching or hawking on a moving public or commercial vehicle is considerably tougher than under the earlier regime. A person can face a fine of 10 to 50 penalty units, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both. With one penalty unit currently valued at GH¢12, the fine range works out to between GH¢120 and GH¢600.
Preaching and hawking are treated together in the regulations because the concern is not the content of the activity, but rather the activity taking place inside a moving public or commercial vehicle. Both can involve a person moving around the vehicle, speaking loudly, interacting with passengers, or occupying the aisle while the vehicle is traveling.
The ban does not apply to preachers at lorry parks and markets, as long as they are not contravening another law or regulation. A preacher standing at a lorry station with a megaphone and addressing people is not automatically caught by the regulation merely because a bus is nearby. The specific restriction concerns a public or commercial vehicle while it is moving.
Key points
- The Ghanaian government has launched a nationwide sensitization campaign to educate road users about the new regulations.
- The regulations introduce tougher sanctions for several traffic offenses and provide for automated enforcement through systems such as Traffitech-GH.
- The ban on preaching in moving buses is part of a broader effort to enhance road safety in Ghana.
