In a bid to faceoff okada completely from Lagos, the State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Tuesday launches a total of 500 First Mile and Last Mile 7 to 13-seater buses and also 100 high capacity buses, to address the transportation hiccup in the state and also as part of efforts to phase out completely operation of motorcycles popularly called okada in Lagos to guarantee security and lives of the citizens.
Stakeholders in the state, a few days ago, met at a parley, which took place at the Adeyemi Bero Hall and mandated the state government to place a total ban on the use of commercial motorcycles, as they raised concerns about high-level insecurity, among others in the state due to activities of okada riders.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, while performing the launching at Lagos House, Ikeja, noted that an efficient transportation system was needed to drive a thriving economy, saying that the First and Last Mile (FLM) buses initiative was conceived to connect one community to another where big buses would not be able to reach.
“What we are doing is about guaranteeing the security of lives and properties of our people.
“A responsible government would have to respond to the high level of accidents and threat to the security of lives of the people through activities by criminals,” he said.
Governor Sanwo-Olu, while maintaining that the efforts were in response to call by the stakeholders on the issues of security and the need to have an efficient, seamless, effective transportation system, however, noted that the state government would observe for two months to see how okadas operators would comply with a law restricting them from certain routes and crime rate before it could now go for a total ban on okada.
“Further to the launch of these buses, I am using this medium to restate our earlier pronouncement on the operations of commercial motorcycles (Okadas) and tricycles (Keke Napeps) in Lagos State.
“To reiterate, all Okadas and Keke Napeps are restricted from operating in the following Six (6) Local Government Areas: Surulere; Lagos Mainland; Lagos Island; Ikeja; Eti Osa and Apapa; Nine (9) Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs): Apapa-Iganmu; Coker-Aguda; Itire Ikate; Yaba; Ojodu; Onigbongbo; Lagos Island East; Iru-Victoria Island; IkoyiObalende; and Eleven (11) major highways in the State: Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; Apapa-Oshodi Expressway; Oworonshoki-Oshodi Expressway; Lagos-Ikorodu Expressway; Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway; Third Mainland Bridge; EtiOsa/Lekki-Epe Expressway; Lagos-Badagry Expressway; Funsho Williams Avenue; Agege Motor Road and Eti-Osa Lekki Coastal Road.