More than 24 hours after the total ban of commercial motorcycle operation popularly called okada in parts of Lagos State, commuters have continued to commend the government for the bold initiative.
Though many of those who spoke with our correspondent still had to trek to their destinations, yet they said the absence of okada on the roads made more sense as the roads were free of their menace.
For the second day running, okada operators were off the road within the Ikeja metropolis, Ojodu and Onigbongbo LCDAs, and all the stretch of the expressway from Ikeja Along to Mushin on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
At Ogba, Agege, Orile-Agege and other suburbs, the ubiquitous okada operators were also off the road on Thursday, as detarchments of Police and men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and other security agents were seen battle ready at strategic roads.
Same development was also prevalent at Iganmu, Apapa where commuters were seen trekking to the Ports as the buses were in short supply.
Commuters who spoke with our correspondent thanked the government for the effort to sanitize the road mode of transportation in the state.
One of such commuters Chukwudi Adindu, said: “I never believed that the enforcement could be this successful, but what I see today indicates that much can be achieved when government demonstrates the will to enforce its laws. My fear therefore is sustaining this tempo, because I do not want to see the people (okada operators), back again on the road again”.
Another commuter Michael Forosele said the total ban on okada was a welcome development as it would to rest fear of accidents and especially crime in the state. He however expressed the fear that with the alternatives not yet fully circulated, Lagosians may continue to experience some hardship moving round the city.
He said government would need to release more First and Last Mile buses to improve the shuttle experience of commuters from their homes to the major roads where they could board buses to their destinations.
Foluso Adekunle commended the government for the efforts at repairing the roads. He said with more roads rehabilitated, travel time would reduce and traffic congestion which was a major attraction for patronizing okada may be a thing of the past.
However, he said government should improve on the security architecture to mop up a surge in crime rate at this period as many of the operators may begin to see criminal activities attractive.
He urged security operatives to be very vigilant especially at this period to curb any criminal activity that may occasion the fallout of the total ban on okada operation in the state.
Another commuter, Remilekun Yusuf, a public worker, said many of the okada operators are now moving out of Lagos to border communities between Lagos and Ogun State to avoid and arrest, prosecution and eventual impounding of their motorcycle.
Yusuf said since the Lagos State government’s announcement of the total ban last month, house rent in many border communities of Ota, Ijoko, Agbado, Mowe, Ofada Akute, among others have witnessed a sharp increase due to sharp increase in demand by people who are being forced out of Lagos by the ban order.
He said because Ogun and other neighbouring states are yet to banokada operation many operators are moving out of Lagos in droves to these states to continue their business.
He praised the state government for going ahead to enforce total ban on their operation and urged government not to relax the enforcement or encourage the operators to come back to the state.
“What we need actually is a state wide total ban on okada operation. The pilot phase in the past 24 hours is successful across the six local government areas and nine local council development council areas. Let the government inject more alternatives across the state and expand the scope of the ban to include other local governments and LCDAs not yet covered by the executive order banning okada operation.”
Lagos State on Wednesday began a regime of total ban of okada operation in 15 councils in the state, leaving 42 other councils free for their operation, at least until the order is extended to these councils.
Councils on which the ban has been enforced, from June 1, 2022, are: Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Surulere, Apapa and Lagos Island local government areas, while the LCDAs on which okada operation had been banned are Onigbongbo, Ojodu, Ikoyi-Obalende, Iru-Victoria Island, and Lagos Island East. Others are; Itire-Ikate, Coker Aguda, Iganmu and Yaba.
The government said both the rider and the passenger caught flouting the law would be prosecuted while the okada impounded would be crushed at government’s facility to prevent them from resurfacing on the roads again.