Many Lagos residents, on Wednesday, adjusted to the reality of the ban on the use of motorcycles, otherwise called okada, in some areas by the state government.
The ban recorded appreciable compliance even in areas not affected by it. Lagos was unusually calm, with free-flow of traffic. Not many okadas and their riders were seen, especially on highways.
Though the ban is restricted to six local governments, namely Apapa, Surulere, Lagos Island, Lagos Mainland, Eti-osa and Ikeja, the fear of the unknown kept the operators away from unrestricted routes.
The usual chaos on many roads, especially at major bus stops, was not seen. Even the non-state actors called ‘Agberos’ were also off many roads because, as one commuter said, ‘‘their market is closed, at least, for today.’’
Many commuters had to join long queues at Bus Rapid Transit loading stations while those that did not have the patience either trekked long distances or joined commercial buses — Danfo or Korope, which adjusted their fares by as much as 50 percent, depending on locations.
Kelvin Okojie, who lives in Ikorodu and works in Apapa, shared his experience with our reporter. He said that he joined a ferry from CMS jetty to Apapa jetty but had to trek from there to his office on Point Road.
“It was a terrible experience as I had to trek for about 25 minutes to get to my office. There was no okada and yet no commercial buses anywhere in the port city. So many commuters were stranded at the bus stop, unsure what to do or where to go,’’ Okojie said.
Reports from many locations in Lagos show a reasonable level of compliance. In Apapa, Nigeria’s premier port city, which is one of the restricted areas, the compliance is almost 100 percent. Apart from military officers who were seen with their ‘private’ okadas, no other was on the roads.
From the Boundary Roundabout, where there used to be a large number of these operators, down the entire stretch of Mobil Road, where there used to be a huge concentration of them, the operators were off the road.
On Apapa-Wharf Road, right in front of Flour Mills, none of the operators was seen. It was the same story all over the port city. The whole area was deserted. An Apapa resident who did not want to be mentioned described the disappearance of the okada riders, who moved around the town like ants, as “a miracle.’’
On Lagos Island, movement was pretty hard and costly. People spent hours on Eko Bridge because of the closed section of the bridge linking it to the burnt Akpongbon Bridge. Inside the island, connecting Ikoyi or Victoria Island was not easy too as everybody had to return to the use of commercial buses.
It was observed that the okada ban eased traffic on the Lagos-Badagry Expressway which is the local name for the Nigerian section of the Trans-West African Coastal Highway that connects Lagos, Nigeria with Togo, Ghana, Benin Republic, etc.
An extensive reconstruction of the Lagos portion of the expressway that began in 2010 has made it a very difficult route for commuters. The high demand for an alternative to slow-moving and largely unsafe commercial buses attracted many okada operators, especially those from the northern part of the country who have made Alaba Arago, a sprawling slum area along the expressway, their exclusive enclave.
Every morning, during rush hours, over many of these okada riders are on the expressway carrying two passengers, moving from Okokomaiko — a major slum settlement along the expressway — to Mile 2, from where the passengers move to various locations, including Apapa, Lagos Island, and Oshodi.
Read also: ‘Okada’ ban: LAGFERRY deploys more boats, increases daily trips
This reporter observed that apart from the riders who ply the routes further into places like Agbara, Badagry, Ajamgbadi and other hinterlands, the whole stretch of the expressway from Okokomaiko to Mile 2 was free of okada and their riders.
On the flipside, however, commuters had long distances to trek because, besides the increase in fares up to 60 percent on the expressway, there were not enough vehicles to convey those willing and ready to pay the new fares.
The Lagos State government had late last month given a notice of its intention to ban the use of okada as a means of transportation in some parts of the state, citing security issues.
This is the state government’s second attempt at banning the use of okada. This explains why some residents of the state are skeptical about the government’s seriousness with the ban, wondering if the government would have the political will and strength of character this time to enforce and sustain the ban.
Ahead of the enforcement of the ban, Gbenga Omotosho, the state’s commissioner for information and strategy, on Tuesday, assured residents that “there was no cause to worry as necessary measures have been put in place by the law enforcement agencies to forestall any disturbance.’’
He, however, warned that residents should take necessary precautions while commuting.
Abiodun Alabi, commissioner of police, also assured residents of adequate measures put in place to protect them, while warning those who might try to resist the ban to desist.
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