Amaechi sends warning out to governors planning to ban Okada and tricycles
- Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has warned state governors not to ban motorcycles and tricycles in their states
- The minister said banning these means of transportation will only affect the economy
- He advised the governors to train motorcycle riders instead of banning them from their states
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has warned state governors to desist from banning motorcycles and tricycles in their states.
News Agency of Nigeria reports that Amaechi made this statement on Tuesday, February 28, in Abuja at the celebration of the national day of Amalgamated Commercial Tricycle and Motorcycle Owners, Repairers and Riders Association of Nigeria.
Amaechi advised the state governors to train motorcycle riders rather than ban them
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Amaechi said the state government should train the Okada riders rather than attempt to ban them from their state as that would only add to economic hardship in the country.
Amaechi said: “I don’t think we should ban Okada because if we do, it will affect the economy; they only need to be trained to obey rules and regulations.
“The issue of security, safety and regulation should be dealt with at the state level; state governments should train Okada riders."
He urged the operators to avoid recklessness and obey traffic rules and regulations in order to reduce the rate of accidents.
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According to him, commercial cyclists play vital roles in the transportation sector, especially in transporting agricultural produce where roads are not easily accessible.
“We know you play a vital role in the economy: Not all buses, taxis can access our roads for agricultural purposes; a lot of Nigerians depend on you because your services are cheap.
“The economy cannot only grow through white collar jobs; everybody doesn’t need to depend on government and what you have done is to be self-employed to feed yourselves."
Meanwhile, the Lagos state government on Tuesday reiterated its ban on motorcycles in the busy parts of the city.
The state commissioner of police, Fatai Owoseni, said the police will move to enforce the law more and both riders and passengers who flouted the ban would be tried in a mobile court.