The ban on commercial motorcycles and tricycles in Lagos state went into effect February 1. With the ban, the operations of Okada and commercial tricycles popularly known as Keke Napep / Marwa are now illegal in major hubs in Lagos, including Ikeja, the state capital.
The ban had led to a clash between Police and motorcycle riders in parts of Lagos. The state police spokesman Bala Elkana confirmed that police fired teargas as drivers protested in the Ijora, Apapa district of the city. He said the protest was violent and the drivers burned tires and attacked people passing by.
It wasn’t a surprise to see people protesting over the ban as the Okada/ Keke NAPEP has become a source of income to a lot of people. It has become a boom industry with a rise in the number of motorcycle-companies like Max.ng, ORide (a subsidiary of Chinese backed OPay) and Gokada.
Moreso, motorcycles have become attractive alternatives to commercial vehicles because bikes can easily cut through gridlock and bad roads common in Lagos.
This explains why the ban on Okada/ Keke NAPEP is considered by a lot of people to be out of place because many inhabitants of Lagos which is Nigeria’s commercial hub with a dense population of 20milion needs different means of transportation to connect to different parts of the state on daily basis.
So many commuters were left stranded over the weekend and during Monday’s rush hour as they struggled to get onto packed public transport. Many people were also stuck in traffic gridlock for hours trying to get to work due to the ban of commercial motorcyclists in the state.
Lagos is the third most stressful city in the world to live in, according to Zipjet, and commuters in the city spend an average of 30 hours a week stuck in traffic.
A senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa said the Okada and Tricycle restrictions in Lagos will lead to insecurity which the state government vows to curb. He opined that security outweighs convenience that the state government is giving as a major reason for the ban.
He said, if at all, the state government deems it necessary to ban the operations of the commercial motorcyclists, it is important that sufficient alternatives are provided to ease the burden of commuters, given the traffic gridlock that has recently engulfed the State.
The legal luminary urged the state government to provide viable and durable alternative means of transport so as to alleviate the burdens of the people that may be a consequence of the partial restriction.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu responded to the outcry by announcing a fleet of 65 buses will be deployed along major routes.
However, Lagosians have reacted angrily, saying that it wasn’t enough for a mega city like Lagos with over 20 million people.
Akinbobola Akinola, who has been a Lagos resident for more than 20 years, says the government should have rolled out alternative smaller buses before enforcing the ban.
“I paid five times my usual fare to work this morning because I had to use an Uber. …I think they should have placed the buses on the roads before issuing a press release about the ban.”
A political strategist Joe Abah wrote on Twitter.
“With the Lagos Okada Ban, we appear, as usual, to have gone for the option that involved the least thought & planning from a public policy perspective. If you are introducing 65 buses & 14 new ferries from tomorrow, introduce them first and watch it work before announcing a ban.”
The short notice given by the state government had also worsened the situation as a ban of that nature ought to have been announced at least 6 months ahead to make bike operators and commuters alike prepare for an alternative. The state government had announced the impending ban on January 27, 2020 and commenced its enforcement on February 1.
Many analysts have advised the state governor, Babajide Sanwo Olu to rescind his decision on the ban as its long term implications might not augur well because crimes rate will increase. For a state already battling with so many jobless youths roaming the streets daily, the ban of Okada/ Keke operators will exacerbate the situation as many of them will become jobless and may take to crime as a means of survival.
Sanwo Olu had in his election campaign promised that he would put in place favourable policies to ease the commercial motorcyclists operation in the state.
But with the ban, it has became obvious that the governor promise was only meant to gain their votes and support during the last governorship election.
It will be good if the governor can put in place stricter traffic regulations and control instead of the outright ban it is presently enforcing on their operation which is already affecting the state residents.
