By Moyo Fabiyi
Special Assistant to Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola on Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, has disclosed that the state government will soon implement the ban on commercial motorcyclist, known as Okada operators, from plying highways.
Opeifa said commercial motorcyclists are not expected to operate on highways like Ikorodu road, Agege Motor Road, the Third Mainland bridge, Lagos-Badagry express road and other expressways in the state.
The Special Assistant on Transportation, who was speaking on a programme on Television Continental (TVC), explained that the ban on Okada operators on the state’s highways is not a new law but an existing one which government is determined to enforce very soon.
According to Opeifa, there are other laws which Okada operators must obey like other road users. As against their practice of maneuvering through any available space on the road, they must not ride against the traffic.They must obey traffic lights and other traffic rules, both rider and commuter must wear safety crash helmets and must not carry more than a passenger.
However, before these and other traffic rules are enforced, Opeifa said, the Lagos State government plans to invite the Okada riders by organising seminar for them and all other stakeholders.
“Many of them don’t have riders cards that should serve as drivers’ liceence which qualifies them to move about with the motorcycle. Also, they have no identity cards of associations or unions they claimed to belong to,” he said. Read more
http://thepmnews.com/2009/07/06/lagos-to-enforce-ban-of-okada-on-highways?version=print