* Says over 10,000 accident victims, 600 deaths recorded in 3 years

Isola Moses

Lagos State Government has announced the restriction and ban of commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke) in six local government areas of the state with effect from February 1.

绿帽献妻 gathered that Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, Honourable Commissioner for Information and Strategy, along with Frederic Oladeinde and Moyosore Onigbanjo, Commissioners for Transportation and Attorney-General and Justice, revealed this at a joint media briefing in Ikeja, Lagos State capital, after the State Security Council Meeting Monday, January 27.

According to Mr. Omotoso, 鈥渢he extant Transport Sector Reform Law 2018 bans the operations of Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in some local government areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).

鈥淭hey include Apapa LGA and Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Lagos Mainland LG and Yaba LCDA, Surulere LGA, Itire-Ikate and Coker-Aguda LCDAs, Ikeja LGA, Onigbongbo and Ojodu LCDAs, Eti-Osa LGA, Ikoyi-Obalende and Iru/Victoria Island LCDAs, then Lagos Island LGA and Lagos Island East LCDA

鈥淭he full enforcement begins on February 1, 2020,鈥� the Commissioner for Information and Strategy said.

The rate of crimes aided by motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke), Omotoso stated, keeps rising, as they are also used as getaway means by criminals.

鈥淭his is the first stage of the state government鈥檚 plan to sanitise our roads and protect Lagosians from the negative effects of these illegal modes of transportation.

鈥淭he law is very clear. Motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke) are banned on all highways, bridges and listed roads.

Reports say the restriction and enforcement of the ban also affect the newly-introduced 鈥淥pay ride, Gokada ride鈥�, and other similar commercial motorcycle ventures.

However, not Omotoso reportedly did specify if it included the private power bike owners.

The Commissioner listed the affected major highways as 鈥淟agos-Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.

鈥淭he highways also include聽 Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road and Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road,鈥� he said.

He said the restricted bridges included Iyana- Ipaja Bridge Agege, Dopemu Bridge Agege, Airport/Ikeja Bridge, Agege Motor road/Oshodi Loop, Oshodi, Mushin/Isolo Link Bridge, Dorman Long Bridge.

Others are Ojuelegba Bridge, National Stadium Flyover, Apapa-Iganmu Bridge, Apapa-Ijora Link Bridge, Liverpool Bridge, Apapa, Mile 2 Bridge-Loop, Amuwo-Odofin, Okota (Cele)/Ijesa Link Bridge, Apakun/Apapa-Oshodi Bridge Network, Ikorodu Road/Anthony Clover leaf Bridge and Trade Fair Flyover Bridge.

Festac/Amuwo-Odofin Link Bridge, 2 Flyover Bridges along Alhaji Masha Road, Ojota Clover Leaf Bridge, Ogudu Bridge, 3rd Mainland Bridge, Maryland flyover, Ikeja General Hospital Flyover Bridge, Kodesoh Bridge, Oba Akran, Ikeja, Opebi Link Bridge, Sheraton-Opebi Bridge, Jibowu/Yaba flyover Bridge, Carter Bridge, Lagos and Bariga-Ifako Bridge were also listed.

Others were Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Alapere Bridge, Bariga/Oworonsoki Bridge, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Gbagada U-Turn, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, 3rd Mainland/Oworonsoki Bridge, Eko Bridge, Apongbon flyover Bridge, Cowry Bridge (Officers Mess), Mcwen Bridge (Bonny Camp), Marina/Ikoyi Bridge and Ikoyi/Obalende Bridge.

The Commissioner said that law enforcement agents had been directed that with effect from February 1, 2020, there would be 鈥渮ero tolerance鈥� for motorcycles and tricycles in (on) the listed local governments, highways and bridges.

鈥淢embers of the public are hereby notified that all offenders and violators will be dealt with in accordance with the law,鈥� Omotoso warned.

He said that accident figures of Okada and Keke menace were scary.

There were over 10,000 accident victims recorded at the General Hospitals alone from 2016 to 2019, he disclosed.

He said this number excluded unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals, adding that the total number of deaths from reported cases was over 600 to date.

The commissioner said that some buses had arrived in the port to be cleared and would be rolled out to ensure that residents were adequately served on public transport in the state.

He said the key point was that there was need to make transportation safe in the state.

鈥淒efinitely, people are not going to suffer, the safety and security of lives of Lagosians are paramount to the government,鈥� Omotoso assured.