Lagosians are lamenting the restriction of tricycles and motorcycles, popularly called Keke and Okada in 15 local governments of the commercial nerve of the nation.
The restrictions, which took effect on 1st February 2020, has left commuters trekking long distance and finding alternative ways to get to their offices or places of businesses.
Arguments have gone back and forth on whether it is right or not to ban these local means of transportation in the Centre of Excellence with the proponents insisting that there will be a huge reduction of crime and accidents with the ban.
As stated on the twitter handle of the Lagos State Government “Okada has been used by criminals to rob and terrorise innocent citizens. Police figures are scary. When it was banned in Kano and Edo, for instance, crime rates dropped. The law enforcement agencies are ready to fix anybody who wants to take to crime because he has lost his Okada job,”
But there are other ways to survive in Lagos without the “Keke” and “Okada”. Some of them are:
- Uber
You can actually shuttle a private car/taxi to take you wherever you want with a private car, popularly called “Uber” in Lagos. With your phone, you can call up a taxi to your place of residence, to take you from one place to another at a cheaper rate.
(2) Danfo
The popular yellow buses, called “danfo” is another option to take from one place to the other. They are all around Lagos, and without hold-ups on the way, they can take you to your destination very quickly.
(3) BRT
The BRT buses, inaugurated during the Babatunde Fashola administration is another option, aside from the Keke/Okada that can take you places. It is safer and cheaper.
(4) Yellow Taxi
A few of them still exist but they can be handy these days to take you wherever you want to go.
It is uncertain if this ban will ever be lifted. But Lagosians are determined to survive with or without these means of transportation.
It is, however, important to note that waking up early from be is no longer negotiable, to catch up with these means of transportation. Lagos is a very busy city, and only the smart ones can survive in the city.
