BEVERLY HILLS, February 28, (THEWILL) – Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has declared that motorcycles and tricycles should not be banned nationwide because doing so would affect the nation’s economy negatively.
Amaechi made this known on Tuesday in Abuja at the celebration of the national day of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria (ACOMORAN).
He advised state governments not to ban commercial cyclists but train them to reduce their recklessness on the road and ensure strict compliance with rules and regulations saying that commercial cyclists play vital roles in the transportation sector, especially in transporting agricultural produce where roads are not easily accessible.
He also urged the operators to avoid recklessness and obey traffic rules and regulations in order to reduce the rate of accidents.
“I don’t think we should ban Okada because if we do, it will affect the economy; they only need to be trained to obey rules and regulations,” he said.
“The issue of security, safety and regulation should be dealt with at the state level; state governments should train Okada riders.
“We know you play a vital role in the economy: Not all buses, taxis can access our roads for agricultural purposes; a lot of Nigerians depend on you because your services are cheap.
“The economy cannot only grow through white collar jobs; everybody doesn’t need to depend on government and what you have done is to be self-employed to feed yourselves.”
Amaechi’s call came as the Lagos State Police Commissioner, Fatia Owoseni declared that over 4000 commercial motorcycles seized for flouting the Lagos State Traffic Law 2012 will be crushed and recycled.
Owoseni told reporters at the Olusosun Refuse Dumpsite in Ojota that the clampdown on Okada was a fall out of the government’s renewed resolve to address the security issues since criminals operate mostly with okada.
He said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had directed the police and other security agencies to ensure the law is complied with.
The Commissioner said: “It would not be one-off. So far, we have impounded about 500 motorcycles since we started our renewed efforts and we now have a total of about 4, 000 bikes ready to be crushed. The law made provisions on how those motorcycles should be handled and the law also made provision on how to handle those that have flouted the law itself.”
According to Owoseni, the decision to crush and recycle the motorcycles accords with the law.
The government, Owoseni said, was considering banning okada in some areas, , starting with the Lekki and Victoria Island axis.
He frowned at the way Okada and Keke Maruwa flout the law, especially by not obeying traffic light, which in most cases lead to avoidable accident and death.
“The operators of the commercial motorcycles and those patronizing them, with time, you will get to see the Mobile Court going around to try some of those that have been arrested,” he said.
“What we are saying here is that we want people in Lagos to know that there is a law and the law is made for a purpose and if all of us obey the law and conform, the better for us.”
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