The Lagos State Government has stated that the ban on commercial motorcycles (okada) and tricycles (keke) in Lagos metropolis will not be reversed.
Deputy Gov. Obafemi Hamzat, in a statement on Friday, said this was because the government was determined to reduce accidents and vices associated.
Hamzat noted that the ban would promote security of lives and that the decision was taken after evaluating the rate of crime and accidents recorded.
He said: “It is not to punish anybody or restrict people from doing certain jobs; the reality is that people are dying, security of our children is being compromised, and the government must act.
“What this administration is doing is just to enforce the law that the House of Assembly passed which must have been vigorously scrutinised.
“The ban is in accordance with the Lagos State Transport Reform Law of 2012. The law that has been in existence since 2012.
“The law says that commercial motorcycles and tricycles are restrained from plying major highways, certain roads and all bridges,” he said.
“The law was revisited due to the scary figures of fatal accidents in the state as against the claims that the ban was targeted at anyone or group.
“We have 27 general hospitals in Lagos and close to 3,000 private hospitals.
“Using the statistics from the general hospitals alone, an average of 28 deaths related to okada are recorded monthly. It is therefore important for us as a government to act.”
Hamzat noted that said motorcycles and tricycles were being used by some unpatriotic citizens as tools for crime such as theft and drug trafficking.
He said that the modes of transportation were becoming avenues to commit crimes and the government would not wait until major disasters would happen before acting.
“We get calls through our emergency control centres as early as 6:00a.m. from people going to work who are being robbed and harassed through motorcycles,” the deputy governor added.
