Motorcycle riders ply Ikorodu-Mile 12 road despite restriction

Despite the announcement by the Lagos State government that it would strictly enforce the order restricting commercial motorcycles popularly called ‘okada’ from plying the Mile 12-Ikorodu Road, our reporter observed that the commercial motorcycle riders were still operating on the road. Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had last week during a Town Hall meeting at Ikorodu, restated […]

Despite the announcement by the Lagos State government that it would strictly enforce the order restricting commercial motorcycles popularly called ‘okada’ from plying the Mile 12-Ikorodu Road, our reporter observed that the commercial motorcycle riders were still operating on the road.
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had last week during a Town Hall meeting at Ikorodu, restated the ban on commercial motorcycles from plying the restricted route. 
 “I’m encouraged by this very transparent, credible, free and fair affirmation which I just got from the people. From the response, many of the people in this hall are in support of a total ban on okada and since this is a government of the people, all the security agencies in Lagos including the Police, Task Force, LASTMA and others, to start with, are hereby directed to fully enforce the ban on okada between Mile 12 and Ikorodu,” Ambode said.
According to him, his administration would not tolerate ‘okada’ on the route.
“I hereby emphasise that there is no more okada on Mile 12-Ikorodu Road. Anyone caught flouting this directive will have their okada impounded and we would prosecute such people as well before the court,” the governor added.
 Also at the weekend, the state, at its monthly Security Council meeting, restated its stand on the restriction of ‘okada’ on some routes in the state. Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, who briefed journalists after the meeting, counseled residents to stop patronizing the commercial motorcycle operators plying restricted routes.
 But our correspondent who monitored the compliance level reported that as at yesterday, the commercial motorcyclists were still operating and being patronised by commuters on the Mile12- Ikorodu Road, with no law enforcement official in sight to check the situation.
 He also reported that some of the ‘okada’ were even plying the dedicated lane meant for the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) in the route, even as some residents of Ikorodu commended the announcement by the state government to strictly enforce the ban on the operation of commercial motorcycles on the route.