People who preach or sell goods inside moving public or commercial vehicles in Ghana could face fines, imprisonment, or both under the country’s updated road traffic regulations.
The law provides for penalties ranging from 10 to 50 penalty units, with offenders potentially facing up to eight months in prison depending on the circumstances of the offence.
The Road Traffic (Amendment) Act, 2025 (Act 1153) was passed by Parliament and assented to by President John Dramani Mahama on December 24, 2025. Parliament subsequently approved the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) on May 28, 2026.
The Ministry of Transport has since launched a nationwide public education campaign to inform drivers, passengers and other road users about the updated requirements.
According to the ministry, the campaign is intended to promote road safety, improve compliance and help the public understand the changes introduced under the new regulations.
The ban is not entirely new
Although the provision has recently attracted public attention, the restriction on preaching and hawking in moving public or commercial vehicles is not a newly introduced prohibition.
The earlier Road Traffic Regulations, 2012 (L.I. 2180), already prohibited causing or allowing a nuisance, including preaching and hawking, on a public or commercial vehicle while it was in motion.
The 2026 regulations, however, introduce a broader enforcement framework covering several traffic offences, including graduated fines, custodial penalties, automated enforcement through Traffitech-GH and a demerit-point system.
What does Regulation 141 say?
Regulation 141 of the Road Traffic Regulations, 2026 (L.I. 2519) prohibits causing or permitting a nuisance, including preaching and hawking, on a public or commercial vehicle while the vehicle is moving.
With one penalty unit currently valued at GH¢12, 10 penalty units amount to GH¢120, while 50 penalty units amount to GH¢600.
This means an offender could face a fine ranging from GH¢120 to GH¢600, imprisonment for up to eight months, or both, where the applicable provision is enforced.
Why are preaching and hawking restricted?
The regulations classify activities such as preaching and hawking inside a moving public or commercial vehicle as forms of nuisance.
The restriction forms part of the wider road-safety framework aimed at reducing distractions and disturbances that could affect passengers, drivers and the safe operation of vehicles.
The provision is not targeted at any particular religion. Rather, it applies to the specified activity when it takes place inside a moving public or commercial vehicle.
Hawking inside such vehicles is similarly covered by the regulation.
What passengers and preachers should know
Under Ghana’s current road traffic regulations, preaching or hawking inside a public or commercial vehicle while it is moving is prohibited.
A person found breaching the relevant provision could face between 10 and 50 penalty units, a custodial sentence of up to eight months, or both, subject to the applicable enforcement and court process.
The Ministry of Transport’s public education campaign is therefore aimed at ensuring that drivers, passengers, preachers, hawkers and other road users understand the requirements and comply with them.
By: Prince Martey-Sogar.