Commissioner for Transportation, Kayode Opeifa, made this known at a stakeholders’ meeting with the transport unions and operators of the informal public transport in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
The commissioner stated that despite Babatunde Fashola and the massive enlightenment campaign by the government, it was disturbing that okada and motorcycles below 200cc still ply the restricted routes, including bridges and highways with impunity.
Opeifa called on all motorcycle and tricycle operators to withdraw from plying the restricted routes as anyone found violating the law would be appropriately sanctioned.
He reiterated that the law was made in the interest of all and that it was aimed at reducing carnage on the roads, adding that of the 9,100 roads in the State, only 475 roads were restricted after extensive consultations.
Opeifa said that it was necessary for the operators, riders and passengers of motorcycles to voluntarily comply with the law as both riders and passengers could be culpable if found to have contravened the law.
According to him, section 3 (6) of the law stipulates that “where a rider is convicted for riding or driving on restricted routes, not wearing a standard protective crash helmet or carrying more than one passenger, carrying a pregnant woman, a child below the age of 12 years or an adult with a baby or heavy/large load placed on the head or acts which obstruct normal sitting on the motorcycle, the passenger shall also be liable to the same penalty.”
He said that many innocent lives that could have contributed meaningfully to the development of the state, and the nation had been wasted as a result of accidents caused by motorcycles.
Opeifa added that “many children have become orphans, many wives have become widows while many husbands have also become widowers while traffic congestion and delays continue to be compounded by the menace of okada riders.”
The commissioner, however, advised all unrecognised motorcycle associations in the state to affiliate with either the Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State, MOALS under the control of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW or ANACOWA Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria, RTEAN as both were the only recognised motorcycle associations in the state.
Transport unions and organised public transport operators in attendance included NURTW, RTEAN, City Bus Limited, Cross Country Limited, Iseoluwa Transport Cooperative, BAMD Ltd; Cantonment Bus Co-operatives Shuttle, T & M Cooperatives, TW-NURTW Cooperatives, MOALS and ANACOWA motorcycle owners and riders association, among others.
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