Lagos State Police Command says it has impounded 188 motorcycles and 78 tricycles as well as arrested 40 persons for refusing to comply with the ban on motorcycles and tricycles in certain areas by the state government.

Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, deployed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, State Traffic Officers, Area Traffic Officers, Divisional Traffic Officers, the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences and other police personnel to enforce the state road traffic laws that restricted motorcycles and tricycles from operating on certain routes in the state.

He stated that Very Important Personality escort vehicles without number plates, vehicles with defaced and covered number plates and vehicles driving against the traffic were also impounded, adding that Odumosu urged Lagos residents to comply with the new directive.

Elkana said, “The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, Hakeem Odumosu, had on February 1, 2020, deployed Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, State Traffic Officers, Area Traffic Officers, Divisional Traffic Officers, Lagos State Task Force on Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences and other police officers across the state to fully enforce the provisions of the Road Traffic Laws, especially the ban on the use of motorcycles, popularly known as okada, and tricycles, also known as keke, in some local government areas and routes across the state.

“The total ban as announced by the Lagos State Government took effect from 00.00 hours on February 1, 2020. Forty violators were arrested in different parts of the state and 188 motorcycles and 78 tricycles were impounded.

The Commissioner of Police went around the state to monitor compliance and expressed his satisfaction with the level of compliance. He thanked the good people of Lagos State for their cooperation.

“The CP personally arrested some motorcycle and tricycle operators seen contravening the traffic laws. Others arrested by the CP were VIP escort vehicles without number plates, vehicles with defaced and covered number plates and vehicles driving against the traffic. Twenty-two vehicles were impounded.

“The CP reiterated the fact that no one was above the law and called on Lagos residents, irrespective of their social status, to support the police in their quest to provide a safe and secure state for everyone to live in and to carry out their lawful businesses.”

Elkana added that the enforcement was a continuous exercise that would be done every day for 24 hours, adding that violators would be dealt with in accordance with the extant laws on traffic.

Lagos State Government, made exemptions to the motorcycle (okada) and tricycle (keke) bans being enforced by security officers in the state.

The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said dispatch riders, courier companies, newspaper dispatching motorcycle, and motorbike riders, were exempted from the ban.

Omotosho explained that security agents also have discretionary powers in certain instances.

Despite the protests in the state, the commissioner said the government did not plan to review the ban.

Omotosho thanked residents who had borne the pains of the enforcement, saying the government had the interest of Lagosians at heart.

Chairman of Lagos State Council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC-Oluomo, has warned members of the union across the state not to increase the transport fare.

The increment, he said, would inflict more pains on Lagosians.

Akinsanya spoke with the union leaders on Monday at the Agege union headquarters.

According to him, the crisis over the state government’s policy on commercial motorcycles and tricycles called for calm.

He reiterated that there was no directive from the state council for commercial drivers to increase transport fare over the ban of motorcycles and tricycles in some parts of state.

He warned that any driver caught increasing fare would not only be punished, the union leaders in the park such driver operates would be sanctioned.

“The union should not be seen as a group of people trying to take undue advantage of the situation at hand,” he said.

He urged the branch chairmen to monitor and ensure that the commercial drivers do not extort people as well as prevented hoodlums who may want to foment trouble in the parks.

“Those who are not union members will do many things to create mayhem under the guise of union members. Do not allow them to give bad image.

“We have our name to protect and we must take our destiny in our hands by monitoring your parks,” he said.

Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has directed the management of Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL) to deploy a fleet of 65 buses along major routes from Monday, February 3, 2020.

The directive follows a recent ban on the operation of motorcycles and tricycles in some parts of the State.

According to Sanwo-Olu, the move is to help ameliorate the hardship commuters might face as a result of the restriction order.

He appreciated motorcycle and tricycle operators for complying with the restriction from six LGAs, major highways and bridges.

The governor commended some of the ride-hailing companies for their level of compliance, asking their riders to obey the directive.

“The little discomfort experienced by commuters on some routes due to the absence of motorcycles and tricycles is noted. This will not last as alternatives are being rolled out, a fleet of 65 buses will join the others on some major routes as from Monday, February 3, 2020: No less than 550 more buses are being expected.”

He added that “Besides, 14 ferries will be commissioned on Tuesday; This will further open up the waterways, reduce travel time on various routes and provide safe, dependable and comfortable alternatives for commuters.”

Meanwhile, the MD/CEO of LBSL, Mr Idowu Oguntona, has extended the services of the buses to include; Ikeja – Ogba, Berger – Ogba, Ikeja – CMS.

Other routes are Oshodi – Ajah, CMS – Ajah, Inner Marina – Ajah.

He disclosed that more buses will be deployed by the company in no distant time.