29th December, 2018
From the look of things, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State no longer cares about the unruly activities of commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada as operators now ride with impunity on highways and express roads from which they have been restricted.
The Lagos State Road Traffic Law which came into effect on August 2, 2012 restricts the operations of commercial motorcycles on about 475 out out of the over 9,000 roads in Lagos State.
It is now a common sight to see commercial motorcyclists riding roughshod over Lagosians on inner roads, major highways and expressways in the state.
Rather than enforcing the traffic law, the enforcement agencies, especially the police, have allowed the motorcyclists to operate by extorting money from them.
Ever since Governor Ambode was prevented from securing a second term ticket by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), the governor appeared to have lost interest in governance and allowed impunity, disorder and indiscipline to reign supreme in the state.
Photographs by Ayodele Efunla.
