Photo credit: Premium Times Nigeria.
(Lagos) Lagos State Government has expressed determination to give total ban to commercial motorcycle operation in all local government areas of the state.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, disclosed this on Tuesday in Ikeja at a stakeholders forum organised to review the ban on commercial motorcycle in some parts of the state.
Our Correspondent reports that the forum attended by a cross section of Lagos Taskforce on Okada, has
as theme: “Okada Ban, What Next: Review of Enforcement and Compliance, Two Months After.”
The Reporters recalls that the Governor of the state, Mr Bababjide Sanwo-Olu had on June 1, banned the operation of commercial motorcycle, popularly known as Okada, in six local government areas: Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island and Apapa out of the nine Local Council Development Areas(LCDAs).
The Commissioner said after seeing the results of the ban in the six local government areas, the people of Lagos had been calling on the state government to expand the ban.
“Some people have suggested that the ban should be statewide, considering the present anxiety over security,” he said.
He said the forum was brought to being to take stock of the government decision on the ban and agree on the next step to take.
Omotosho recalled the criticisms that initially trailed the ban, saying that it was “based largely on sentiments of those who had not witnessed the havoc some of the Okada riders caused in the areas of health and security.
“Residents were being robbed of their belongings by robbers who used motorcycle to flee scenes of crimes.
“Our public hospitals were being filled with victims of Okada accidents, doctors had their hands full at Emergency wards and hoodlums who ride unregistered motorbikes posed great security risks.”
The commissioner said all stakeholders now have the opportunity to make suggestions on what steps the government should take on the matter.
In his remark, the Commissioner for Transportation, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, noted that the ban had recorded significant successes and compliance.
Oladeinde said in the affected areas within the period under review, available records’ showed that crime and accidents had reduced drastically.
“In the affected areas within the period under review, available records’ show that crime and accident rate reduced astronomically by 86 per cent and 63.7 per cent, respectively while a total of 7,500 motorcycles were impounded and crushed accordingly,” he explained.
He said that the rise in the level of insecurity, nationwide, had made it imperative to review the impact on the ban on Commercial motorcycle in some parts of the state and further steps to protect the people.
“The Federal Government is presently considering the total ban of motorcycle operations across the federation as most of these underground activities are being enhanced with the use of motorcycles.
“Also, the attention of the state government has been drawn to the security threat parading the news across all socio-media platforms, that some unscrupulous individuals are planning to attack the state,” the commissioner revealed.
Oladeinde,who said the state government was working round the clock to secure the state, added that the focus on Okada operation was due to the non-compliance to traffic rules and regulations by the riders,in addition to using the machines for robbery, kidnapping, arms supply and attack on citizens.
He said the forum was expected to re-ignite the state’s commitment to tackling traffic rules violations and criminals operating as commercial riders.
The Special Adviser to the governor on Transportation, Mr Sola Giwa, called on the forum to come up with suggestions to guide the government on decisions to take on the operation of Okada riders.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
