Less than two weeks after the Lagos state government denied banning okada and tricycles in major roads and bridges in the Centre of Excellence, the state has not only annoynced a ban on okada and keke, but also announced the date it will implement the ban in major areas of the state.
The ban, which will affect six local government areas and 9 Local Council Development Areas, LCDAs, will take effect from February 1, 2020, and will affect all forms of commercial motorcyles, including ORide, Gokada, Max Okada and other motorbike hauling services.
Apart from owners of motorbike hauling services, Lagosians would feel the effect of the ban more, as bikes have become one of the majour panacea to the intractable traffic gridlock that has become a trademark in the state.
Also, commerical biking has become a major fall back job for the teeming unemployed youths and others in the Centre of Excellence.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, who made the disclosure at a press conference on Monday, January 27, said the decision to ban the operations of okada and tricycles in the affected areas was made after a review of casualties of accidents involving okada and keke in the state.
He said, “After a robust assessment of the debate on what has been widely referred to as the motorcycle (okada) and tricycle (Keke Marwa) menace, the Lagos State Government and the State Security Council have decided that the security and safety of lives of Lagosians are paramount.”
Disclosing the casualty figures of accident victims involving okada, which he described as scare, Omotoso said, “From 2016 to 2019, there were over 10,000 accidents recorded at the General Hospitals alone. This number excludes unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals. The total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600 as at date.”
The affected local givernment areas affected by the ban on okada and tricycles are: Apapa, Lagos Mainland, Surulere, Ikeja, Eti-Osa and Lagos Island while the affected LCDAs include: Apapa-Iganmu, Yaba, Itire-Ikate, Coker-Aguda, Onigbongbo and Ojodu.
Others are: Ikoyi-Obalende, Iru/Victoria Island and Lagos Island East.
The list of expressways, where okada and tricycles are prohibited from ooerating include: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway, Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway, Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Others are: Third Mainland Bridge, Eti-Osa/Lekki-Epe Expressway, Lagos-Badagry Expressway, Funsho Williams Avenue, Agege Motor Road and Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road
Prohibited bridges to okadas and tricycles are: Iyana-Ipaja Bridge, Agege/Dopemu Bridge, Airport/Ikeja Bridge, Agege Motor Road/Oshodi Loop, Oshodi/Mushin/Isolo Link Bridge, Dorman Long Bridge, 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, Trade Fair Flyover Bridge, Festac/Amuwo-Odofin Link Bridge, two Flyover Bridges along Alhaji Masha Road, Ojota Clover Leaf Bridge and Ogudu Bridge.
Others include: 3rd Mainland Bridge, Maryland Flyover, Ikeja General Hospital Flyover Bridge, Kodesoh Bridge, Oba Akran, Ikeja/Opebi Link Bridge, Sheraton-Opebi Bridge, Jibowu/Yaba Flyover Bridge, Carter Bridge, Lagos/Bariga-Ifako Bridge, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Alapere Bridge, Bariga/Oworonsoki Bridge, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/Gbagada U-Turn, Apapa-Oshodi Expressway/3rd Mainland Bridge, 3rd Mainland/Oworonsoki Bridge, Eko Bridge, Apongbon Flyover Bridge, Cowry Bridge (Officers Mess), Mcwen Bridge (Bonny Camp), Marina/Ikoyi Bridge, and Ikoyi/Obalende Bridge
