The Nation Newspaper reports that peace reigned across all the major roads of Lagos metropolis on Saturday, being the day one of the restriction imposed by the Lagos State Government on the operations of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada and tricycles (Keke). In compliance with the government directive, their riders stayed away from the major highways and bridges.

The Iyana Ipaja/Ikeja/Oshodi area where commercial motorcyclists used to be in control, prior to the restriction was visibly devoid of them yesterday.

Many commuters who used to take bikes and Keke have resorted to walking to their destinations.

The compliance of Okada and Keke riders with the restriction was welcome by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) as “pretty good”.

The LASTMA’s General Manager, Mr. Olajide Oduyoye, said that its officers would not argue or fight any rider who willingly complied with the law.

For instance, in the Oshodi axis where there are designated parks for all sorts of commercial motorcycles, including Max Okada, Opay, and Gokada, nobody sighted a motorcycle at the time of filing this report, except for a dispatch rider belonging to 12 Baskets.

On the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, motorcycle riders were seen at every five minutes’ drive, but without sighting any Keke. Iyana Isolo bus stop was free of Okada riders that used to obstruct people from crossing the road to the opposite side, while the other side was free also of commercial motorcycles and tricycles (keke Marwa). From Iyana Isolo towards Daleko, there were no commercial motorcycles and tricycles. Hence, commuters had no choice other than to walk from Iyana Isolo to Daleko to board buses heading to their different destinations.

From Oshodi towards Ketu, Mile 12 and Ikorodu, also no commercial motorcycles and tricycles was spotted. Iyana Ipaja to Oshodi was also free of the riders, as well as Obalende to Oshodi. But at Mosafejo across Oshodi, some Okada riders were sighted either on their bikes waiting for passengers and riding around.

Agbara towards Iyana-Iba to Mile 2 was not entirely free of commercial motorcycles, as their riders started work very early before police arrived to drive them away. Many of the riders sustained various degrees of injuries, as they were seen falling and rising up while running from the policemen.

At Agbara, they hid on the Ogun State side of the road and waited until policemen left, then they came out again to start work and go back into hiding when the presence of policemen were sighted.

However, some commuters expressed grief over the hardship the ban has caused them.

A commuter, Clement Osondu, who spoke to The Nation’s correspondent at Ojodu area, said that the law was designed to punish the poor masses, adding that he walked for over 30 minutes.

Osundu warned that if the government doesn’t review the law, people would suffer more hardship, adding that that would translate to more joblessness in the state.

Mrs. Lucy Ekpeyong, from Ikotun area of the state, said that she noticed an exodus by the commuters, stressing that everyone was saying in unison that Lagos State must have to review this policy, as it is only negatively affecting the poor masses that could not afford cars.

Last Monday, the Lagos State Government said in an announcement the banning of motorcycles and tricycles in 15 local governments and local council development areas, as well as some major bridges and highways in the state.

It said that the ban would affect the operations of all kinds of motorcycles and tricycles, including the operations of ride-hailing businesses such as Max NG, Gokada and Opay.

Information and Strategy Commissioner, Gbenga Omotoso, during the news conference, listed the areas affected by the new order as Surulere LGA, Apapa LGA, Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Yaba LCDA, Itire-Ikate LCDA, Lagos Mainland LGA, and Coker-Aguda LCDA.

Others affected are: Lagos Island East LCDA, Lagos Island LGA, Ikeja LGA, Onigbongbo, LCDA, Eti-Osa LGA, Ikoyi-Obalende LCDA, and Iru-Victoria Island LCDA, and Ojodu LCDA.

Omotoso also said that the operations of the Okada and Keke NAPEP had been banned on the following highways and bridges: Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway and the Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway.

Also affected are: Ojuelegba Bridge, Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway, the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road and Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road, Agege, Dopemu Bridge, Agege, Iyana –Ipaja Bridge, Agege Motor Road/Oshodi Loop, Oshodi, Mushin/Isolo Link Bridge, Dorman Long Bridge, and Airport/Ikeja Bridge.

The rest include: National Stadium Flyover, Festac/Amuwo-Odofin Link Bridge, Apapa-Iganmu Bridge, Apapa-Ijora Link Bridge, Liverpool Bridge, Apapa, Mile 2 Bridge-Loop, Amuwo-Odofin, Apakun/Apapa, Apapa-Oshodi Bridge Network, and Ikorodu Road /Anthony Clover leaf Bridge, Trade Fair Flyover Bridge, Flyover Bridges along Alhaji Masha Road, 3rd Mainland Bridge, Ojota Clover leaf Bridge, Ogudu Bridge, Maryland flyover, Okota (cele)/Ijesha Link Bridge, and Ikeja General Hospital Flyover Bridge.

Also affected are: Kodesoh Bridge, Oba Akran, Ikoyi/Obalende Bridge, Mcwen Bridge (Bonny Camp), Marina/Ikoyi Bridge Ikeja, Opebi Link Bridge, Apapa –Oshodi Expressway/Gbagada U-Turn, Sheraton-Opebi Bridge, Jibowu /Yaba Flyover Bridge, Carter Bridge, Lagos, Bariga-Ifako Bridge,Apapa/Oshodi Alapere Bridge Bariga/Oworonsoki Bridge, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway,34. 3rd Mainland/Oworonsoki Bridge, Apongbon flyover Bridge, Eko Bridge and Cowry Bridge (Officers Mess).

Officers of the Lagos State Task Force parked their vehicles yesterday at strategic locations within the city, such as Oshodi Bus, Ikeja, Ile Zik, and Iyana-Ipaja to monitor and ensure compliance.

Speaking on the first day of the ban yesterday, the LASTMA General Manager said compliance of the law by bikers was pretty good.

The compliance is pretty good for the first day. We hope to see that a lot will comply more and more. Operators must keep doing what the law says,

he said.

Oduyoye added:

There is no problem; once there is compliance, there is no need for any enforcement. There is no need for any fight or any incident on the road. It is just for the people to just comply and that is it.

The LASTMA boss said the enforcement was to control the recklessness and unrestrained behaviour of the riders in Lagos, which contributed to the traffic jams in the state.

He explained that the operations of Keke and Okada riders had also been creating traffic bottlenecks and chaos in the state and accused them of regularly disobeying traffic laws.

The difficulty we always have is this keke and okada riding against traffic and causing a lot of traffic chaos.

When a minor accident happens with keke scratching a vehicle and there is an argument, it disrupts the traffic flow.

That made our jobs a lot more difficult. So, now that they are going to be off the major highways, our work will be much easier.

The motorists creating traffic chaos will not have keke or okada to blame again.

LASTMA officers are up to the task. We are going to do our job as diligently as we are supposed to,

Oduyoye said.

According to him,

we will operate where we are supposed to operate and work to make sure that traffic is flowing as much as possible.

We expect that since so many junctions and corners will be free of keke and okada parks and loitering; when enforcement comes up, there will be better traffic flow in Lagos State from today,

Oduyoye said.

He said that if the riders obey the law and operate within the law, problem won’t arise, as a lot of commuters still rely on them.

We can see their apprehension and likely pain; but I blame the operators for misbehaving in such a way that their operations become security and safety issues.

No responsible government will sit back and allow this to grow and to grow out of hand; which is exactly what is happening,

he enthused.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.