Lagos State Government says it is beginning full enforcement on okada riders from plying the restricted 475 roads across the state, saying it was not going to be business as usual.

In recent time, okada riders have taken over the state’s highway in flagrant disregard to the Road Traffic Law restricting them from plying major highways in the state.

Acting Commissioner for Transportation, Anofiu Elegushi warned that government would no longer tolerate okada riders on restricted roads, highways and bridges.

Elegushi said the reduction in enforcement that had been witnessed was a fall out of the need to restrategize and undertake enforcement in a more civilized manner as dictated by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, saying the nature of enforcement required that they have broad database to ensure compliance and enhance the capacity of government to enforce.

The acting commissioner stated equivocally that the era of impunity and crime enhanced and facilitated by okada riders were over, as government would enforce the law to the letter.

Elegushi called on all enforcement agencies-Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Vehicle Inspection Service (VIS,) taskforce and the Nigeria police to immediately and continuously embark on enforcement on all restricted routes.

Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde said government would not want to see okada riders plying the state’s highways from now henceforth as the law enforcement agents would descend heavily on them.

He explained that out of the 9,000 roads in Lagos, okada riders were only restricted from plying 475 roads, while they could ply the rest.

A representative of the Lagos Commissioner of Police, ACP Imohim Edgal said the police all Lagos police area commands had been directed to enforce aggressively the restriction placed on okada riders from plying the restricted routes.