Yemisi Izuora
About 130 commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, operating on highways and in other restricted areas in Lagos State were impounded on Monday in an enforcement carried out by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Agency (Taskforce).
The Taskforce also arrested five motorists who flouted the State’s traffic regulations, including driving against the traffic and obstruction.
The recently established Anti-Oneway and Other Traffic Offences Squad of the State Government, which is now being operated under the Taskforce, also joined in the enforcement.
The 80-man team, led by the new Taskforce chairman, Shola Jejeloye, a Superintendent of Police (SP), in an early morning enforcement in Iyana Ipaja, rounded up scores of Okada riders illegally operating on routes, which the State Government had designated as restricted areas for commercial motorcycles.
The enforcement team moved to Abule Egba area, where one-way drivers and commercial motorcyclists had created nuisance on the highways. Offenders were calmly ordered to come down from the vehicles before they were confiscated by the Anti-One Way Squad.
None of the motorcyclists and their passengers was injured in the operation, which lasted for several hours.
Speaking during the enforcement, Jejeloye said the Taskforce would sustain the operations all round the Yuletide period to limit the incidents of robbers using motorcycles to carry out their nefarious activities and give Lagosians opportunity to move freely in the festive season.
He said the enforcement team was out to protect law-abiding citizens of the State against dangerous driving and preventable accidents caused by disobedience to Lagos traffic laws.
He said: “From today, we are redirecting our enforcement towards ensuring hitch-free Yuletide for all law-abiding residents of Lagos. This is a period when people are usually in a rush, especially impatient motorists who break the traffic regulations without regard for the lives of other road users. We also have Okada riders taking the advantage to ply restricted routes. We are fully read and equipped to tackle these offenders.
“This State-wide operation will be dawn to dusk from today (Monday) till the end of festive season. We are not out to destroy anybody’s means of livelihood, and Okada riders operating in approved areas need not to fear. We will not relent on our resolve to restore orderliness back on our roads and reduce the incidents of criminals using motorcycles to rob people on the highways.”
Other areas where the Taskforce carried out the enforcement included Fagba Road, Isolo, Ojota, and Oba Akran Road.