Electric bikes are becoming a new choice for transport in Bawku, a town in Ghana’s northeast. This change offers cleaner air and lower travel costs for its residents. Many people are choosing them over older petrol motorbikes.
Safety concerns led authorities to restrict petrol motorbikes. These bikes were used to facilitate quick attacks after periods of tribal conflict. However, life became difficult without this common transport. Traders, students, and workers needed a way to get around. This created an opening for electric bikes, which were not included in the ban.
The shift to electric bikes connects to broader issues in Ghana. Transport is a major source of air pollution in the country. Older motorbike engines release harmful gases. These pollutants harm people's health. Globally, air pollution causes millions of deaths each year. About 32,000 Ghanaians died prematurely from air pollution in 2003, according to the State of the Air Report.
Hakeem Girma, a teacher in Bawku, saw this need. He started importing electric bikes in 2023. Girma had seen them in China and believed they could help. He recognized a business chance due to the transport disruptions. As travel problems worsened, demand for e-bikes grew. Girma states his goal is not just profit. He wants to improve the health of Bawku.
Residents report positive changes. Bukari Rahinatu, a 25-year-old graduate, used to cough from motorbike exhaust. Now, she enjoys quiet rides and breathes cleaner air. Trader Basheru Shafawu Kazusa feels healthier and travels more freely. No official air quality studies are available for Bawku. Still, riders feel direct health benefits. Dr. Godwin Kafui Ayetor, a clean transport researcher, explains motorbikes emit carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides. These gases damage lungs and blood. Electric bikes produce no such harmful emissions.
Electric vehicles are crucial for better health in Ghana. They can also lower healthcare costs for the nation. Dr. Napoleon Bellua Sam, an epidemiologist, notes short-term effects like headaches can occur. Over time, pollution from petrol fumes raises risks. These include heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer. Children, pregnant women, and the elderly are most at risk from pollution.
Petrol motorbikes are very common across Ghana. They are vital in smaller towns and villages. In some areas, they make up 90 percent of registered vehicles. Motorcycle use has rapidly increased across Africa. By 2022, there were about 27 million registered motorcycles on the continent. Interest in electric vehicles is growing with awareness of pollution dangers. Studies show switching to electric bikes greatly reduces harmful emissions. One study in Kampala suggested a 15 percent drop in dangerous particles. Ghana's government has targeted electric vehicles in its plans.