The Lagos State government has insisted that it will not reverse its decision to ban commercial motorcycles, also known as okada, in six local government areas and nine local council development areas.
The government claims that it has already crunched 2,228 commercial motorcycles in order to achieve its goal.
Mr Gboyega Akosile, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu shared a video of impounded motorcycles being crushed on his twitter page on Friday.
#okadaban: crushing of 2,228 of motorcycles impounded by the Lagos State Task Force is ongoing somewhere in Lagos. The enforcement exercise will continue till the six Local Government Areas and 9 LCDAs are rid of Okada. Lagos deserves better than Okada. pic.twitter.com/09dy1RrQWV
— Gboyega Akosile (@gboyegaakosile) June 3, 2022
According to Akosile, Lagos deserved better than Okada.
He stated that the enforcement operation would continue until all commercial motorcycles were removed from the affected local government areas and local council development areas.
The affected local government areas include Ikeja, Surulere, Eti-Osa, Lagos Mainland, Lagos Island, and Apapa.
Following concerns raised about the residents’ security and safety, the government announced a total ban on commercial motorcycle operation in the areas, effective June 1.
It emphasised the importance of compliance and assured residents that they would not be left to their own devices.
Deployment of alternatives, such as many small buses, taxi cabs under the LAGRIDE scheme, and more ferries on waterways, to mitigate the effects of the ban in the affected areas were also announced.