Lagos govt tackles ‘okada’ and ‘keke’menace

The Lagos State government has announced plans to halt the abuse of traffic laws by motorcycle and tricycle riders, saying the menace can no longer be condoned. A statement yesterday signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, affirmed that the ongoing enforcement of traffic laws would be stepped up across the […]

The Lagos State government has announced plans to halt the abuse of traffic laws by motorcycle and tricycle riders, saying the menace can no longer be condoned.

A statement yesterday signed by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Gbenga Omotoso, affirmed that the ongoing enforcement of traffic laws would be stepped up across the state to check motorcyclists and motorists violating the laws.

Omotoso explained that the violation of traffic laws by commercial motorcyclists  has necessitated the enforcement of the State Traffic Law 2018 to pave way for the implementation of the present administration’s transportation project.

He recalled that the alarming negative statistics resulting from motorcycle accidents and the compelling need to enhance safety led to the introduction of the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2012, which was reviewed in 2018.

Omotoso emphasised that the law makes the use of safety helmets by riders and passengers of motorcycles compulsory, obedience of traffic lights and signage mandatory and the conveyance of more than a passenger, expectant women and adults with babies, as well as children of school age forbidden.

The commissioner said, “Their operations were restricted on 475 roads, including highways and bridges. We cannot fold our arms and watch them disrupt the peace of the state. Over 1,500 accidents involving tricycles were reported across the state from 2015 till 2019, while over 70 died and 250 were injured in accidents involving them.”

He added that 30 robbery cases involving motorcycles were reported in 2019, out of which 20 were foiled by the police, who arrested 25 suspects and recovered 48 arms and ammunition.

Reeling out statistics from the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Omotoso stated that no fewer than 619 people were killed or seriously injured in motorcycle accidents between 2015 and 2016, noting that a police report released during the same period indicated that of the 30 armed robbery cases recorded between July and September, commercial motorcycle riders perpetrated 22.

“Over 200 cases of motorcycle accidents have been recorded monthly at health facilities across the state in the last three years,” Omotoso declared.

The commissioner stated that the riders’ consistent and brazen disregard for the law, in addition to drug abuse by many of them, should be a matter of concern for Lagos residents.

“Robbers use okada to escape after robberies. Besides, the influx into the state of many riders without traceable addresses and valid means of identification, despite the provision for a rider’s permit, remains a huge security and safety threat to residents,” he said.

The commissioner affirmed that the resolve to strengthen security had reinvigorated the government’s commitment to instilling sanity in the operation of ‘okada’ and ‘keke’ business.