The Lagos State Government has announced the restriction and ban of Commercial Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in six Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State, with effect from February 1st, 2020.
The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr. Gbenga Omotoso, made this known in Ikeja while addressing newsmen after the State Security Council Meeting recently.
He stated that the extant Transport Sector Reform Law 2018, bans the operation of Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in some Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs) in the State.
The affected areas are the Apapa LGA and Apapa Iganmu LCDA, Lagos Mainland LGA and Yaba LCDA, Surulere LGA, Itire-Ikate and Coker-Aguda LCDAs, Ikeja LGA, Onigbongbo and Ojodu LCDAs, Eti-Osa LGA, Ikoyi-Obalende and Iru/Victoria Island LCDAs, then Lagos Island LGA and Lagos Island East LCDA.
Major highways include Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Others are Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road and Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road.
According to him, the rate of crimes aided by Motorcyclists and Tricycles Operators keeps rising, as they are used as getaway means by criminals. He added that this is the first stage of the State Government’s plan to sanitize the roads and protect Lagosians from the negative effects of these illegal modes of transportation.
The Commissioner said the restricted bridges included Iyana-Ipaja Bridge, Agege, Dopemu Bridge Agege, Airport/Ikeja Bridge, Agege Motor road/Oshodi Loop, Oshodi, Mushin/Isolo Link bridge, Dorman Long bridge.
Others are Ojuelegba Bridge, National Stadium Flyover, Apapa-Iganmu Bridge, Apapa-Ijora link Bridge, Liverpool Bridge, Apapa, Mile 2 Bridge-loop, Amuwo-Odofin, Okota (Cele)/Ijesha Link Bridge, Apakun/Apapa-Oshodi Bridge network, Ikorodu Road/Anthony Clover leaf Bridge and Trade Fair Flyover.
There are also Festac/Amuwo-Odofin link Bridge, 2 Flyover Bridges along Alhaji Masha Road, Ojota Clover leaf Bridge, Ogudu Bridge, 3rd Mainland Bridge, Maryland Flyover, Ikeja General Hospital Flyover, Kodesoh Bridge, Oba Akran, Ikeja, Opebi link Bridge, Sheraton-Opebi Bridge, Jibowu/Yaba Flyover, Carter Bridge, Lagos and Bariga-Ifako Bridge.
Also included were Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Alapere Bridge, Bariga/Oworonsoki Bridge, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Gbagada U-Turn, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, 3rd Mainland/Oworonsoki Bridge, Eko Bridge, Apongbon Flyover, Cowry Bridge (Officers Mess), Mcwen Bridge (Bonny Camp), Marina/Ikoyi Bridge and Ikoyi/Obalende Bridge.
He said that Law Enforcement Agents had been directed that with effect from February 1, 2020, there would be zero tolerance for Motorcycles and Tricycles on the listed Roads, Highways and Bridges.
The Commissioner warned that members of the public are hereby notified and all offenders and violators will be dealt with in accordance with the law
Omotosho decried that accident figures of Okada and Keke menace are scary, adding that there were over 10,000 accident victims recorded at the General Hospitals alone from 2016 to 2019.
He informed that the need to make transportation safe in the state necessitated the delivery of some buses at the port, which will be cleared and rolled out to ensure that residents were adequately served.
NAOMY ORANEZU,
INFORMATION OFFICER,
FIC, LAGOS.
