Mallam Shakirudeen Olalekan Olofin, Chairman, New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), Lagos State chapter, has urged the Lagos State government not to outrightly ban operations of commercial motorcycles and tricycles in the state.
It would be recalled that the state government restricted operations of motor cycles otherwise known as okada, and tricycles, also known as keke Marwa or Keke NAPEP, to only certain areas with effect from Saturday February 1, 2020.
Olofin, who spoke to The NEXT EDITION in Lagos on Tuesday said: “We have not got to that level where we have a free flow of traffic. Also, on government part, they should speed up on the road construction and make it more motorable.
“Commuters ply okada and Keke Marwa to ease the stress encountered on the road. A lot of man hours are spent endlessly in traffic on major Lagos roads.
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“The solution is not to throw away the baby with the bath water. A lot of families make their daily living through that means.”
Olofin maintained that although okada and keke operations have their occupational hazards, “but all jobs had it. The government would be alleviating a lot of sufferings, which will get worse if their activities are banned.”
The NNPP chairman stressed: “The harsh economic situation in the country makes a lot of Nigerians venture into the trade.
“We also appeal to the state government to allow operations of Opay, Gokada, Maxi and others to ply their trade, but with regulations. Their operators paid huge amount for registration and also pay taxes and union dues. They are also assisting to check unemployment in the state.”
