MAX Okada and Gokada, two private companies providing motorcycle services in Lagos State have described the decision of the state government to ban motorcycles in 15 council areas of the state as insensitive.
The Lagos State Government (LASG) had on January 18 announced it will start the installation of 2000 prohibition signs across the state to reiterate its policy on restriction of Okada and tricycle operations on major highways and bridges.
LASG went ahead to announce on the January 27 that motorcycles and tricycles starting February 1 would be banned from plying 15 Local Government areas and Local Council areas in the state.
Mr. Tayo Bamidiro, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of MAXOkada and Mr. Victor Daminabo, Pilot Operations Manager of GOKada, said this during press briefing in Lagos, on Wednesday
The companies noted that while investments running into millions of dollars would be lost, the ban would compound the already bad unemployment situation in the country.
While insisting that they were not consulted before the decision was taken, the firms also expressed shock that the state could put them in the same group with regular motorcycle riders.
During the briefing at the company’s office at Ikeja on Wednesday, he noted that despite making two million trips, the company’s riders had recorded “less than 100 incidents.”
The co-founder stressed that less than seven were serious and required hospital visits, adding that till date, the company had zero fatalities.
Bamiduro explained that the company’s motorcycle engines were all 220cc, a 10 per cent increase above the requirement of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
He said;
We are also fully compliant with the requirement of the law prohibiting the operation of motorcycles without rider and passenger helmets, carrying more than one passenger, comprehensive insurance, in addition to other safety-related violations.
This blanket directive extending the ban to commercial ride-hailing operators is therefore not in accordance with the extant law which guides us as a legal business.
In his statement, Bamiduro says;
To keep them safe physically and mentally, our drivers are provided with smartphones, accident insurance, two helmets, branded clothing, and first aid equipment. Both drivers and passengers have accident insurance and the drivers, in addition, have functional HMOs.
He insisted that the company was also paying its taxes to the government as riders paid levies to the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) as directed by the state.
Bamiduro said international bike-producing companies, including Novastar Ventures, Yamaha, Jeincheng and investors would be worried by the government’s decision.
He however noted that Max Okada would explore all lawful means to address the situation.
On his part, the Pilot Operational Manager of Gokada, Victor Daminabo, said his company had over 20,000 rides with no fatalities.
Daminabo revealed that all the riders were being tracked in real-time, adding that they were not affected by the safety and security concerns raised by the state government.
He said Lagos State Government ought to explore the technologies the companies were adopting instead of making decisions that could have serious social implications.
