Lagosians have been reacting to the menace of Okada riders in the State and proffering solutions towards curbing the menace.
Some members of the public made their opinions known during Lagos Traffic Radio’s Yoruba Programme “Bo Se Nlo”, urging the government to enhance enforcement and ensure both the riders and passengers are prosecuted.
One of the callers, Moses from Abule Egba suggested that, henceforth, the government should arrest the Okada Riders alongside passengers, who patronise them, and parade such individuals on television to serve as a deterrent to others.
He envisaged that enforcement will dissuade more people from patronising Okada as a means of transportation, stating that the only reason Okada still thrives is because they enjoy patronage by some members of the public.
Another contributor, Aseese from Ogba, condemned the alarming rate at which Okada has taken over virtually all major roads in Lagos. He said the government can solve the perennial problem by arresting the owners, riders and passengers that patronise them.
“If this drastic action is taken, it will discourage people from buying commercial motorcycles and also Lagosians patronising them. A jail term of at least three months should be recommended for anyone that flouts the ban on Okada”, he said.
Also speaking on the radio programme, a listener named Jisoro from International Airport expressed concern about the destructive tendency of Okada riders, whereby they are quick to take laws into their hands whenever an accident involving one of them happens, even when they are obviously the culprits.
Jisoro, therefore, suggested that Okada should not only be restricted in the State, but a total ban and enforcement will bring sanity to Lagos roads.
A caller named Abdulhafeez from Thomas-Ajegunle also wants the government to arrest the riders, confiscate the bikes and also arrest the owners and passengers to further serve as a deterrent for Okada patronage while Alade Solomon from Oke-Ira wants the government to put an age limit on those who can ride Okada in areas not restricted.
Observing that there are lots of underage Okada riders in the State, the caller said the responsibility to arrest underage riders should be vested in the Area Commander of the Nigeria Police.
“Area Commanders should then instruct Police officers to ensure that any underage rider is arrested since a lot of accidents involving Okada are caused by underage riders”, Solomon said.
