Published By Seyi Babalola
No fewer than 250 commercial motorcycles, power bikes and dispatch motorcycles impounded by the Lagos State TaskForce would be crushed by Saturday, the TaskForce Chairman CSP Shola Jejeloye has said.
Speaking at the agency’s Bolade, Oshodi, Headquarters on Tuesday, Jejeloye said the impounded motorcycles underscored the determination of his men to enforce the total ban declared by the State Governor Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu on commercial motorcycle operations in six local government areas and nine LCDAs in the Lagos State.
Jejeloye said the power bikes and dispatch bikes, whose capacity are above the required standard were confiscated for either driving against traffic (one-way), conveying of passengers on dispatch bikes and riding on the BRT corridor of the State.
Jejeloye explained that even though the ban focuses mainly on commercial motorcycles popularly known as okada, the State Transport Sector reform laws prohibit any bikes of any capacity from riding against traffic.
“Riding a power bike doesn’t make you immune to traffic laws of the State especially when it has to do with riding against traffic on one-way which is highly dangerous to road users and even pedestrians. Any motorbike violating the State traffic laws will be met with the same level of punishment as the Okada of lower capacity” Jejeloye stated.
The Chairman further disclosed that dispatch riders who have seized the opportunity of the absence of okada on the highways to transport commuters on their dispatch bikes would also have their bikes impounded.
“We have made a series of arrests of dispatch bikes whose riders either convey passengers even with the delivery box still mounted on the bike or sometimes with disassembled box, to convey passengers. Unfortunately, some of the owners of these bikes do not know that their bikes have been confiscated because the riders usually abandon the bikes once apprehended by our officers”.
Jejeloye urges all dispatch/delivery bike operators to warn and lecture their riders thoroughly to desist from lifting passengers with their bikes or risk forfeiting the bikes to the State Government.
Jejeloye also appealed to power bike riders to obey traffic laws of the State highways as no bike will be spared once caught violating the law.
Recall that the TaskForce crushed about 2,500 okada at its crushing site in Alausa a fortnight ago. The crushing brought the total number of crushed Okada to 7,500 as about 5,000 okada impounded between January and March had earlier been crushed by the TaskForce.
If the agency went ahead with the crushing on Saturday, it would bring the total number of okada crushed this year alone to 7,750. Jejeloye said the agency would not relent in crushing okada in the state, until all operators engaging in illegal commercial operation move out of the state.