The Lagos State Taskforce in its bid to enforce the ban on the activities on commercial motorcycles by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in six local government areas and nine Local Council Development Areas of the State has expanded its tentacles to motorbikes of higher capacity for various offenses.
This information was disclosed by the chairman of the Taskforce, CSP Shola Jejeloye at the headquarters of the agency in Bolade Oshodi where he revealed that power bikes and dispatch bikes whose capacity are above the required standard were confiscated for either driving against traffic (one-way), conveying of passengers on dispatch bikes and riding on the BRT corridor of the State.
Jejeloye hinted that even though the ban focuses mainly on commercial motorcycles popularly known as okada, the State Transport Sector reform laws prohibit any bikes of any capacity from riding one-way.
“Riding a power bike doesn’t make you immune to traffic laws of the State especially when it has to do with riding against traffic on one-way which is highly dangerous to road users and even pedestrians. Any motorbike violating the State traffic laws will be met with the same level of punishment as the Okada of lower capacity” Jejeloye stated.
The Chairman further disclosed that dispatch riders who have seized the opportunity of the absence of okada on the Highways to transport commuters on their dispatch bikes would also have their bikes impounded.
“We have made a series of arrests of dispatch bikes whose riders either convey passengers even with the delivery box still mounted on the bike or sometimes disassemble the box and convey the passengers with the bikes. Unfortunately, some of the owners of these bikes do not know that their bikes have been confiscated because the riders usually abandon the bikes once apprehended by our officers”.
Jejeloye urges all dispatch/delivery bike operators to warn and lecture their riders thoroughly to desist from lifting passengers with their bikes or risk forfeiting the bikes to the State Government.
Jejeloye also appealed to power bike riders to obey traffic laws of the State highways as no bike will be spared once caught violating the law.
The bikes seized by the Agency, numbering 250 will be crushed over the weekend at the Taskforce crushing site in Alausa.
