Lagos State government has extended the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada to four more local councils and six local council development areas.
The Commissioner for Transport, Dr Frederic Oladeinde, who announced this on Thursday, said it was after a review of the earlier ban on commercial motorcycles operation in six local councils.
According to him, the state government took the decision in the best interest of the generality of the residents and for security reasons.
The Lagos State government has added four more Local Government Areas and five Local Council Development Areas to the list of councils where okada operations are banned. They include;
1. Kosofe Local Government a. Ikosi-Isheri LCDA b. Agboyi-Ketu LCDA
2. Oshodi-Isolo Local Government a. Isolo LCDA
3. Shomolu Local Government a. Bariga LCDA.
4. Mushin Local Government a. Odi-Olowo LCDA The ban goes into operation on September 1st, 2022.
NewsWireNGR recalls that, the Lagos State government had in June began crushing commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada, seized in the state.
The chairman of the Lagos taskforce in Alausa, Ikeja, Shola Jejeloye, told journalists that the ban has been in existence since February 2020 and has been effective.
He had, on Thursday, in a statement, said that 2,228 seized motorcycles will be crushed.
In May, Mr Sanwo-Olu imposed a fresh ban on commercial motorcycles, popularly known as ‘okada’ from operating in six local government areas – Eti-Osa, Ikeja, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Apapa, and Surulere.
“It is not something that came into place February 1, 2020. And since then we have been on it. It is just that people believe in violating the law,” Mr Jejeloye said.
“Which I don’t think is good enough, in a cosmopolitan city like this. But since June 1, there have been more than 85 per cent compliance in the sense that we don’t see them on the road, on the express any longer. The numbers have drastically reduced.”
Mr Jejeloye noted that security operatives will sustain the enforcement of the ban.
“They (motorcyclists) are watching us and I know that they might believe that the first week of the ban will be thorough and after one week we are going to relax,” Mr Jejeloye said.
He said that another phase of the ban enforcement will start on Monday to check the compliance level.
