The transportation gap created by the recent ban of the motorcycle (Okada) and tricycle (Keke) in Lagos busy roads has created an opportunity for car owners, investors as the surge in demand have led to a 100 increase in drivers’ revenue.
A survey by BusinessDay shows that the over 100 percent increase in the transportation fare on Uber, Bolt and OCar also means more revenue for the riders and investors.
Before the Okada/Keke ban, a driver that earned N1000 from driving in any of the e-hailing platforms for example, now earns N2000, a 100 percent revenue increase resulting from the high demand for rides, checks by BusinessDay shows.
“since the ban, my revenue has more than doubled, and unlike my expectation that the hike in price will lead to fewer trips, I get people requesting even when I’m completing another trip,” a driver with Uber who simply identified himself as John told BusinessDay.
The fare offered by the e-hailing Uber, Bolt and OCar increased by over 100 percent a day after the enforcement of the Okada and Keke ban in Africa’s most populated city. The fare on the e-hailing platforms showed that for a distance of 12km which attracted a fare of N2000 jumped as high N5000- N600.
“Fare is higher due to increased demand,” Uber said on its app. Bolt on the hand said, “price is higher due to high demand.”
As the city with the most population in Africa, the available transport options in Lagos state following the Okada/Keke ban are not sufficient to meet the mobility needs of the over 17 million people living the centre of excellence even worse as that number is expected to more than double in the nearest future.
The Commissioner, Information and Strategy Lagos state, Gbenga Omotoso said the government is aware of the effect of the ban on the residents and plans to announce soon, some measures to tackle the likely effects of the order, besides the programmes of various agencies, such as the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Office of Civic Engagement, Lagos State Parks and Gardens and others.
“With the Lagos Okada ban, we appear, as usual, to have gone for the option that involved the least thought & planning from a public policy perspective. If you are introducing 65 buses & 14 new ferries from tomorrow, introduce them first and watch it work before announcing a ban,” Joe Abah, Country Director at DAI said in a tweet on Monday.
Announcing the restriction and ban of commercial motorcycles Okada and Keke in six local government areas of the state with effect from, February 1, the Commissioner said it was not surprising that the ban recently placed on commercial motorcycles and tricycles in Lagos State by the government was going to generate intense public interest and a seemingly endless debate. In fact, it was going to be a debate between the rich and the poor of the society and it is the more reason the debate is a sensitive matter.
“This is the first stage of the state government’s plan to sanitise our roads and protect Lagosians from the negative effects of these illegal modes of transportation. The law is very clear. Okada and Keke are banned on all highways, bridges and listed roads,” he said.
