VolvoS60:
Of course its getting worse.

That is the only logical outcome when you have an overrated, corrupt Fashola administration/LASG which is very poor at curbing the excesses of its irredeemably corrupt traffic management officials.

As I write this, work has ceased on the "perpetually under construction" black hole that is the lekki-epe expressway. This is an "ëxpressway" that already has one operational toll point with another two set to follow, yet LCC, Hitech Construction Company and all the other actors in this macabre drama have simply gone to sleep and left the road (from just after Oando filling station onwards) to "lie fallow".

And mr fashola's hagiographers have the nerve to say lagos is working (whatever that means?)


I spent some time yesterday at Iponri where VIO and LASTMA officials hold court. I saw things there which left me speechless. Until that group is sorted out, traffic in this broken city WILL definitely get worse. But I know I am asking for too much.

'Eko oni baje' indeed.

smarth-G:


I GAVE ACN ALL MY SUPPORT B4 BUT NOW AM SHIFTING IT ALL TO PDP AND TO ALL MY EMPLOYEES, VOTING PDP IS THE ONLY CONDITION TO REMAIN.

Not because PDP is good, gooder, goodest but I will rather suffer in the hand of PDP than the ALMIGHTY acn.

If the so Glorified Fashola could behave this way who in ACN can't.

The other effects of this operation is not even yet manifesting yet, let watch and see.

mollie12: People its not the okada ban that is causing the traffic - its the fuel scarcity.

How does it even correlate anyway? Yes, no okada means longer bus queues but to say it means more traffic doesn't add up.

The traffic is really scary tho. I just can't wait for the light rails to be up and running *pheww!*

mollie12: People its not the okada ban that is causing the traffic - its the fuel scarcity.

How does it even correlate anyway? Yes, no okada means longer bus queues but to say it means more traffic doesn't add up.

The traffic is really scary tho. I just can't wait for the light rails to be up and running *pheww!*

Fashola and his advisers, by pursuing this policy have really shown the height of their ineptitude. Forget the issue of being humane. Economics 101 should have taught them how crazy and idiotic this policy is.

Job loses:
It is conservative to say that there are 100,000 Okadas in Lagos State. 100,000 Okadas = 100,000 jobs. Plus, another 200,000 jobs for people who lease, sell and repair Okadas, as well as people who sell engine oil and spare parts to Okada people. Then there are the street kitchens who feed them with food and snacks. Let us say that conservatively, the total jobs lost = 300,000. Let us assume that each Okada job makes an average of =N=2000 a day. =N=2000 x 300,000 Okadas = =N=600,000,000 (six hundred million) a day in lost business to the Lagos economy.

Killing the future:
Then there are the kids that may drop out of school because of loss of income for their parents, others that would die of simple illnesses for lack of free medical care. These children's health and education define the future of Lagos to a significant extent. Let me leave out the extended family and networks that these incomes support. I can't quantify the cost to Lagos in this respect.

Undermining efficiency:
It is the height of ignorance to fail to recognise the efficiency that Okadas bring to business operations and activities in Lagos. Where are they roads? As bad as the riders are, Okada's are the most efficient means of getting around the gridlock that is Lagos during the day. No government invited them to start operations. Okadas began in Lagos organically in response to a need for a faster way to get around and a way to reach the nooks and corners ill serviced by public transport vehicles. That need has not gone away and the weak infrastructure has not changed. The immediate cost to businesses small and large that depend on Okadas may also run into the hundreds of millions a day.

Unfair devaluation of private asset value:
The estimated 200,000 Okada vehicles in Lagos, who is going to buy them? What happens to their value? Let us say they are each worth at least =N=50,000 on average. That is 10 billion Naira worth of private assets devalued with a single policy. Is there an Okada buy back policy to at least give these now jobless people some capital to find another means of livelihood??

The idiotic case for the ban:
Yes robbers use Okadas to terrorise the city. Yes Okada riders can be rough on the road. Yes many have been maimed by Okadas. These are good reasons to see Okada as a problem, but hardly a justification. Why? If you think robbers are using Okadas to gain an advantage, imagine if 1% of 300,000 turn to robbery for a lack of employment. That is three thousand robbers injected into the society in one go. Imagine if 5% turn to other forms of crime or negative social behaviour. That makes 18,000. Do we not have enough of those in Lagos. Do we have the jails to hold them?

Okada riders are rough on the road. So is every one. Unless it is a different Lagos, the Lagos I know is one where you deserve a special license for being able to drive in it. Almost every one is in a hurry. It is easy to pick out the small guys. But how can a government that has not built the good roads banish road users for being rough. The terrain shapes the nature of navigation. Many have died and been maimed by Okada accidents. But more have died from the bad and neglected government roads. If you need to sack any one in this regard, it is the guys in power, who have misused our collective wealth instead of building our infrastructure.

The bigger nuisance in Nigerian and in Lagos is the governance and not Okada. Those in power are stealing much more than robbers have stolen with Okadas. They have left the infrastructure to decay in a city with so much wealth. They are building up elite neigbourhoods while the masses wade the floods to their homes. They have killed more through their negligence. The Okada man is an easy target to help clean up their mess. If you need to decongest the roads, build more and expand existing roads, create new public transportation modes (trains, buses,boats), build bicycle lanes, etc. If you need to improve security, equip the security forces and install more security infrastructure. Think for solutions first before taking the easy and ill informed way.

Fashola has really really disappointed me and ACN can not win a free election in Lagos if this policy stands. The masses are the majority and not the elite.

2sexy: but seriously, you like to show off as if you are what....? (nairaland help me complete.)

people are talking about serious issue affecting a larger proportion of the populace... You wan tell every say you live in VI. Imagine how many times you mentioned VI as if say na LasVegas or NewYork.

Rubbish!!!

beamed:

The birth of a megacity does not come cheaply but I tell you Lagos govt has put the cart before the horse. Now you mention street by street transport among other things. The issues has to do with the highways where the roads are riddled with drum holes and consequently traffic is slowed. For a person living on the island, you not be privileged to see the chaos at various mainland bus stops. From Agbado to ijaiye to agege to ikeja all the way to oshodi. Ikorodu road, apapa road, okokomaiko, ajngbadi are places you'll see people sweat it out. The ban would have make sense if the roads are ok. Worse still when the community gathers to do something about the roads, somebody just shows up from alausa to frustrate the community effort claimimg that it's government responsibility. Yet no action from them. It seems to me that power of positive reasoning is lacking in our leaders. Ban them if you must but do the right things first.

beamed:

The birth of a megacity does not come cheaply but I tell you Lagos govt has put the cart before the horse. Now you mention street by street transport among other things. The issues has to do with the highways where the roads are riddled with drum holes and consequently traffic is slowed. For a person living on the island, you not be privileged to see the chaos at various mainland bus stops. From Agbado to ijaiye to agege to ikeja all the way to oshodi. Ikorodu road, apapa road, okokomaiko, ajngbadi are places you'll see people sweat it out. The ban would have make sense if the roads are ok. Worse still when the community gathers to do something about the roads, somebody just shows up from alausa to frustrate the community effort claimimg that it's government responsibility. Yet no action from them. It seems to me that power of positive reasoning is lacking in our leaders. Ban them if you must but do the right things first.

mollie12: People its not the okada ban that is causing the traffic - its the fuel scarcity.

How does it even correlate anyway? Yes, no okada means longer bus queues but to say it means more traffic doesn't add up.

mollie12: People its not the okada ban that is causing the traffic - its the fuel scarcity.

How does it even correlate anyway? Yes, no okada means longer bus queues but to say it means more traffic doesn't add up.

The traffic is really scary tho. I just can't wait for the light rails to be up and running *pheww!*

saxywale:
Nope, It's the ban. There is something call modal shift in traffic engineering. When one option becomes attractive over another, people switch transport modes. In these case, okada was attractive to commuters, now that most of them have been taken off the road, that means people are moving to the next attractive option which is personal cars hence more cars on the road. Even if the roads are made bigger, it would attract more cars again. It's actually gonna be worse when there is no fuel scarcity as that would make cars more attractive to commuters. Even the so called light rail would only stop at major bus stop and due to lack of integrated transport systems. people would still find their cars more attractive. But I am sure you know that the commissioner of transport trained as a bio-chemist!

irohadis: I could not believe the number of people who were in support of the ban before now. I reasoned then that these are people who have cars and drivers, the elite. But I also knew from the nature of the infrastructure in Lagos, that the hurt will be universal. Even Fashola will not find the way to clear the cars off the road so he can pass. I am flying in a bicycle for my Magodo to Ikeja commute.

X is No okada
Variables =
a = more cars on the road
b = more fuel demand
c = more pollution

ab is HELL ('true', 'false')
Variables =
a = No road expansion
b = No new road construction
c = Population expansion
d = No Jobs
e = abundant crime

bc is government ('true', 'false')
Variables =
a = inefficient
b = corrupt

cd is Government agencies ('true', 'false')
Variables =
a = inefficient
b = corrupt

if (ab, bc, cd) is 'true'
abort. X
Else, pray to your god for the worst is yet to come.

below was my opinion immediately after the ban:

luvinhubby:
He shud have started the train & ferry b/4 banning Okada, unreasonable politicians.

jobaskia: @jp pHILLIPS. If you want to be a billionaire , think like a billionaire! I think i like his beautiful utterances .We are all anonymous in here .


Wealth without work
Pleasure without conscience
Science without humanity
Knowledge without character
Politics without principle
Commerce without morality
Worship without sacrifice.”

Kx: FYI.
lAGOS is no longer the centre of excellence.
It is now the centre of traffic.
Little wonder instead of opening excellent radio, they opened Traffic radio.

beamed:

The birth of a megacity does not come cheaply but I tell you Lagos govt has put the cart before the horse. Now you mention street by street transport among other things. The issues has to do with the highways where the roads are riddled with drum holes and consequently traffic is slowed. For a person living on the island, you not be privileged to see the chaos at various mainland bus stops. From Agbado to ijaiye to agege to ikeja all the way to oshodi. Ikorodu road, apapa road, okokomaiko, ajngbadi are places you'll see people sweat it out. The ban would have make sense if the roads are ok. Worse still when the community gathers to do something about the roads, somebody just shows up from alausa to frustrate the community effort claimimg that it's government responsibility. Yet no action from them. It seems to me that power of positive reasoning is lacking in our leaders. Ban them if you must but do the right things first.