Hello Friends!
Ignorance, total ignorance, was the word on Friday, when CityFile visited the secretariat of Amuwo-Odofin Local Area, Lagos, with headquarters in Festival Town (popularly called FESTAC), to feel the pulse of the residents, commercial transport operators and the council personnel with regard to the outright ban of the operations of commercial motorcycle (‘okada’) and tricycle (‘keke’) in Festac, under the new Lagos road traffic law.
The new law was assented to by Governor Babatunde Fashola about a month ago, and has continued to elicit divergent views among members of the public. While some commend it, others speak against its coming into force particularly with unimpressive public enlightenment by the state government.
Tunde Shobulo, deputy commissioner of Police (DCP) in charge of operations, said the police and the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), were working on plans to ticket any offender of the law at the scene of the offence as against the present arrangement whereby traffic offenders are first taken to LASTMA offices before a ticket for the payment of prescribed fine is issued.
But while discourse on the law continues, two categories of players in the state public transportation system that are seriously affected are motorcycle and tricycle operators, who, going by the law, are banned from the entire network of roads in Festac Town. However, investigations by CityFile showed that commercial motorcycle/tricycle operators are ignorant of this provision of the law with respect to Festac Town, as every single person spoken to on Friday expressed shock and disbelief.
Curiously, council personnel including those in the public relations and transportation units (who should be the ones sensitising the public) also claimed ignorance that ‘okada’ and tricycle under the new law are barred from Festac, claiming the law only restricts ‘okada’ from the highways.
Although one of the workers in the public relations unit told CityFile that the local government was tidying up plans to unveil a new transportation system in Amuwo-Odofin, he was shocked when told that ‘okada’ and tricycles would no longer be allowed in Festac with the full commencement of the enforcement of the law.
“I know the law restricts ‘okada’ from plying the highways, but I am not aware that it has outlawed ‘okada’ and tricycle operations in Festac. This is strange to me,” the staffer, whose name CityFile prefers to keep anonymous), said.
Also an ‘okada’ operator, who spoke with CityFile on 21 Road, near AP Filling station, said they were not aware of any law either in the past or present that disallows their operations in Festac Town. “There is no highway in Festac. The law says we should not ply on expressway not Festac, the ‘okada’ rider, who identified himself as Jimoh, said.
At Apple Junction on Amuwo-Festac link road, a tricycle operator, also disagreed that they were not to ply on any road in Festac, saying, nobody has communicated any such position of the new law to them.
Although the law is all-encompassing, affecting both private and commercial drivers and their passengers, some offences prescribed as it relates to motorcycle operation include riding without crash helmet, rider’s permit, riding against traffic, or on median/kerbs, carrying more than one passenger at any given time, installation of musical gadgets, operating motorcycle without side mirrors, trafficators, break or rear light, carrying pregnant woman or adult with a baby strapped to the back, carrying a child below 12 years, operating a motorcycle fitted with horn designed for motor vehicles as well as operating in restricted or prohibited areas of which Festac now is one.
The law prescribes fine, ranging from N20, 000 to N100, 000 on conviction or minimum jail terms of three years. The presiding magistrate is also allowed under the law to use his discretion, and may decide to sentence the offender to community service such as cutting of grasses at public places.
Culled from BusinessDay Nigeria.
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Simply Cheska...
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