FRSC faults okada union on ban

Okada on duty in Lagos

The Federal Road Safety Corps on Tuesday dismissed claims that banning  commercial motorcycles in most cities across the country was threatening national security.

The President of the  Amalgamated Commercial Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhd Hassan had riased the alarm that the ban could force commercial motorcycles to become ready tolls in the hands of Boko Haram.

But the Bayelsa State Sector Commander, FRSC, Mr. Jack Vincent, who spoke in Yenagoa during the corps' ongoing one-week sensitisation programme to educate drivers on safe driving in the ember months, faulted the position of the okada union.

He said the activities of commercial motorcyclists had increased road crashes which had produced many  casualties.

He said the government had made provisions for the empowerment of persons affected by the ban.

He said, "I know that government is sensitive enough to have also made alternative arrangement for those affected. I urge them too come forward and buy into the new transport arrangement.

"Any okada rider should know that change is the only permanent thing in life and you do not expect to remain riding okada. There should be some form of improvement and government has offered that, they should cash on it."

He said the ongoing sensitisation programme was aimed at educating drivers on the need to change their attitude observing that most road accidents occurred out of negligence.

Meanwhile, the chairman of Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State, Mr. Tijani Pekis, has said his members are ready to comply with the state's new traffic law.

He said this after the union's meeting with Governor Babatunde Fashola in Ikeja.

He said, "This is not a matter of if, it is a total compliance; it is a consensus, we are ready to comply."

Earlier, Fashola had explained to members of the union that the law was meant to improve quality of life for all.

He said the government would support those who did not want to continue riding okada by  training them at the skill acquisition centres in the state.