Lagos State government on Friday banned the activities of commercial Tricycles, popularly called Keke Napep from major roads in the state, saying, “it is meant to protect the lives and property of the residents of the state.”Speaking at the 2013 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa to mark the sixth anniversary of Governor Babatunde Fashola’s administration, Commissioner for transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa said the state government had held several meetings with the unions on the development, and “they have agreed to stay away from these roads.” Some of the roads tricycle operation was outlawed are; all roads in Victoria Island, Government Residential Area, GRA Ikeja and Ikoyi. Also on Awolowo road and Awolowo way, Alausa and all major roads in Surulere Local Government. The commissioner warned that tricycles are not replacements for motorcycle, popularly called Okada, in the state, as he said “it isn’t a sustainable means of transport for the state especially Lagos that is a megacity.” “I learnt that some Okada riders have began to sell their motorcycle to by tricycle but they can no longer operate on these major roads again.”
The commissioner explained that section 3 of the 2012 Lagos road traffic law also outlawed the operation of the tricycle in the state. The road traffic bill was signed into law last year by Governor Babatunde Fashola, a law aimed at improving safety on the Lagos roads. “After that law was gazetted, the state government allowed tricycle to operate on some of these roads because vehicles available in those roads weren’t enough to convey the passengers plying the road,” he said. Now that the state has enough Bus Rapid Transport, BRT and LAGBUS buses, as well as taxis on these roads, the tricycle won’t be needed anymore, Opeifa stated. The state government has also vowed to impound any disused and abandoned vehicles across the state, as the commissioner explained that “4,632 vehicles were currently abandoned on over 9,100 roads in the State.” “They constitute threat security of lives and property in the state.”
According to him, “While we are proud to improve on information of the removal of over 4,300 abandoned and disused vehicles from Lagos roads, it is saddening that recent survey by the CDA/CDC’s under the supervision of the Ministry of Rural Development have again in the last 3 month identify another 4,632 vehicles abandoned on over 9,100 roads in Lagos State.” “These vehicles are veritable tools for hoodlums, miscreants, armed robbers and other forms of social vices. So also they pose health risk. We will not relent on enforcement.” “To spare part dealers vehicle/Auto sales dealers please be advised as vehicles illegally displayed on road setback will be treated as abandoned/disused vehicle,” Opeifa said. To this end, “we have instructed officers of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA and Vehicle Inspection Service, VIS, to immediately begin to impound any abandoned or disused cars in the state.”
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