Okada Menace: Lagos Reaffirms Ban on Motorcycle Operations
Segun James
As the operation of Okada riders continues to cause menace on roads across the state, the Lagos State Government has reaffirmed that its ban on motorcycle operations in 10 local governments and 15 local council development areas of the state still remains effective.
A statement by the Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, said that there has been peace and improvement in security in areas where the activities of Okada operators have been halted.
Oladeinde restated that security agencies would continue to enforce the ban without any compromise.
He explained that the state government has noticed the gradual return of some recalcitrant okada operators in some restricted areas, which would not be condoned by the present administration.
The commissioner, therefore, enjoined the general public to comply with the law on the ban on Okada in the affected parts of the state.
He reiterated that both the rider and passenger are liable to three-year imprisonment if apprehended and prosecuted, adding that motorcycles impounded would also be crushed in line with the provision of Section 46, Sub-section 1, 2, and 3 of the Lagos State Transport Reform Law of 2018.
He disclosed that statistics have shown that accident rates have declined by 76 per cent in the areas where the activities of Okada riders were put on hold, pointing out that the state government has banned the operations of Okada in 10 out of the 20 local governments in the state, including Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Somolu, Mushin, Apapa, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Surulere and Eti-Osa.
He added that “the local council development areas (LCDAS) under the affected local governments are Apapa Iganmu, Ojodu, Onigbongbo, Lagos Island West, Lagos Island East, Yaba, and Coker Aguda. Others are Itire-Ikate, Eti-Osa East, Eti-Osa West, Iru Victoria Island, Ikoyi-Obalende, Ikosi-Isheri, Agboyi-Ketu, Isolo, Ejigbo, Bariga and Odi-Olowo.”
The commissioner revealed that more sustainable alternative means of transportation are being provided for the motoring public by the Sanwo-Olu’s administration with the ramping up of the mass transit Blue and Red Rail Lines, whose passenger operations would commence test run by the end of this year.
Oladeinde, therefore, urged both rider and passenger to move away from the fixed mindset of seeing the operation of Okada as the only means of commuting, adding that the ban would eventually be extended to all the remaining local governments and LCDAs in the state.
