“No Going Back On Okada Restriction” ─ LASG To Lagosians

By Unknown

Monday 25 August 2014

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The Lagos State Government has said it has no intention of reversing the restriction of commercial motorcyclists from plying major highways and bridges in the state.

The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Lateef Ibirogba, on Sunday said, the government was convinced that the Lagos State Road Traffic Law 2012, especially the aspect concerning the
restriction of commercial motorcyclists from plying major highways and bridges, was made in public interest.

He said,

This administration does not have the intention to reverse itself on this important issue now or in the immediate
future.“The reason is simple. By enacting the Law of 2012, we have made considerable gains in discharging the primary responsibility of government to our people in the area of protection of life and property.

“Also, the decision to regulate the use of commercial motorcycles on our highways was not a unilateral decision, but a response to popular demands by
members of the public who have been at the receiving end in their daily interactions with the okada operators”.

The commissioner explained that there were 9,100 roads in Lagos State, adding that motorcycles below 200cc were restricted on only 475 of the roads.

He added:

“This represents 5.6 per cent of roads in Lagos. The result and impact of this decision have been tremendous”.

Prior to the enactment of the law, we were recording an average of 16 motorcycle-related deaths across the state every month and an average of 646 injured patients from motorcycle-related accidents at states secondary and tertiary hospitals.

“As of March this year, our statistics show only 1 to 2 motorcycle-related deaths and less than 100 motorcycle
accident related injuries in a month”.

”The commissioner said information going round that the government wanted to reverse the restriction was false, adding the Fashola-led administration was the only government that had given recognition to the use of motorcycle as a means of commercial transportation through the instrument of the law and regulations meant to protect the riders and the citizens”.

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