The Lagos State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring commercial motorcycles, popularly known as okada, are cleared from the city’s highways.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, the Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, said tricycles, Keke Napep, are also not excluded from the state’s drive to ensure maximum sanity on its highways.
“The law that bans okada also bans keke,” Mr Omotoso said. “Keke should not be found on highways, should not be found on bridges, should not be found on major roads in Lagos.”
“Major roads are quite clear,” Mr Omotoso said.
“Roads like Third Mainland Bridge, Ikorodu Road, and the one that leads to Airport Road. All of those places, they are not supposed to be found there.
”The state government on Wednesday had announced restrictions on okada operations in six local government areas of the state”, said Omotosho.
But it is not the first time the activities of okada riders have been restricted in Lagos.
In January 2020, the government had proscribed the operations of okada and kekes.
But enforcement became relaxed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr Omotoso said, adding that recent increases in accident rates prompted the government to act again.
The latest ban on okada in the state comes after a sound engineer, David Imoh, was allegedly lynched to death by motorcycle riders in the Lekki area of the state over a fare dispute.
