motorcycle
operators popularly called
‘Okada riders’, once again
yesterday stormed different parts of Lagos metropolis in
protest against restriction
placed on their operations by
the new traffic law enacted in
July. According to sources, the Okada
riders. numbering hundreds
stormed major highways, such as
Lagos Abeokuta Expressway,
Agege, Ajegunle, Apapa, and
Lagos Island areas, urging government to revert the
restriction order on their
operations. Despite the on going fuel
scarcity in the city, the
operators chanting anti-
government slogans, took over
the roads causing traffic
gridlock It took combined team of Rapid
Response Squad, RRS of the
Nigeria police to quell the
situation and restored normalcy.
Part of the new law restricts the
operations of Okada on 475 roads across the state.
An official of the state Ministry
of Transportation, who pleaded
anonymity, confirmed the
protest, saying the situation was
immediately put under check with no arrest made as the protesting
Okada riders retreated
accordingly.
Meantime, the Commissioner for
Transportation, Mr. Kayode
Opeifa, has disclosed that the government has added 15,000
road signs in addition to the
existing 10,000.
Opeifa said the massive
installation of the signs would
enable road-users to be conversant with the signs and
their significance, adding that it
would also assist road-users to
know the restricted routes for
motorcycles and tricycles,
designated bus-stops, among others.
He, however, warned
recalcitrant Okada riders and
tri-cyclists in their own interest,
to desist from plying the
restricted 475 routes as anyone found violating the law will be
appropriately sanctioned. Soldier, driver arrested; vehicle
impounded Meantime, the Lagos state
Government while enforcing the
new traffic law has arrested a
military officer and a truck
driver for driving against traffic
on the Third Mainland Bridge. The officer identified as Lance
Corporal Umar Usman, was
arrested along with a 33 year
old driver of an articulated
truck, Mr. Sagir Abubakar. It would be recalled that
Governor of the state,
Babatunde Fashola had in July
arrested Colonel K.I. Yusuf and
staff sergeant A.J. Adeomi for
driving on the dedicated Bus rapid Transit, BRT, lane. Speaking in an interview
yesterday in Alausa, the
Chairman of the Lagos State
Environment Sanitation and
Special Offences Agency,
Superintendent Bayo Sulaimon added that the state
government had in the last one week arrested over
60 motor park touts across the
state. According to Sulaimon, “Usman
and Abubakar were arrested on
the Third Mainland Bridge at
about 1:00 pm on Tuesday for
driving an articulated truck
against the traffic.” He added “At the time of their
arrest, all the vehicles moving on
Bridge were expected to drive
inward the Mainland and not
outward. But they were found
driving towards Marina.” “While Usman was handed over to
the Nigerian Army for disciplinary
action, Abubakar has been
charged to court and the vehicle
has been impounded along with
the goods found in the truck. They will be auctioned according
to the 2012 road traffic law of
the state. “The goods we found in the truck
were Rice, Sugar and Cements.” Sulaimon lamented that the act
showed that both men needed
urgent reorientation. According to him; “the Bullion Van
that was arrested last month
will also be auctioned
immediately after the expiration
of the two months stipulated by
the new law of the state.”
www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/road-traffic-law-okada-riders-protest-across-lagos/