The Lagos State government in a statement has proclaimed a ban on motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles (Keke) in what is a major blow for tech ride-hailing startup services.
On Monday 27th January 2020, there were mixed reactions to the news. Citizens who have to use the clogged Lagos roads complained that the ban would further frustrate commuters. While others made their apprehension known about the possible increases in crime rates due to joblessness.
One Twitter user said:
There’s no job for the youth, the ones driving Okada and tricycle, the government is still taking their job away from them, how will they feed their families???
How do we fight crime, when we’re pushing people to crime?— valking♔ (@_valkiing) January 27, 2020
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Another user had a contradicting view as he posted:
Let’s be honest, the Okada has done more harm than good in Lagos and has no place in any modern city. We can call for alternatives while pushing for its outright ban as well.
Lagos needs to do more with mass transit. But Okada shld have been banned yrs ago
— JustJude of Winterfell (@egbas) January 28, 2020
In what is a far-reaching proclamation, Gbenga Omotosho, Lagos State Information and Strategy Commissioner said about the 1st February ban:
“After consultations with stakeholders, the State Security Council, in compliance with the extant Transport Sector Reform Law 2018, has decided to commence enforcement of the law which bans the operation of Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) in …
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Tech ride-hailing services affected by Lagos motorcycle (Okada) ban
Gbenga also added that “the Law is very clear. Motorcycles (Okada) and Tricycles (Keke) are banned on all highways, bridges and the listed roads.”
He argued that:
“We cannot fold our arms and watch them disrupt the peace of the State. Over 1500 accidents involving tricycles were reported across the State from 2015 till 2019 while over 70 died and 250 were injured.”
Thus, this affects ride-hailing services like ORide, Gokada and Max that had exploited the traffic situation to both solve problems and make money. Despite still having the option of falling back to the car services, it will surely be a huge loss as many turns to these tech startups because of the quick relief it provides.
Also, the authorities promised that they would work to make state transport systems better.
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