The Lagos State Government has vowed to prosecute all motorcycle operators and their passengers found to have violated its new traffic law.
The State Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who said this, had therefore the operators and their passengers to comply with the traffic law.
He stated this at the state secretariat, Alausa, during a stakeholders' meeting with the transport unions and operators of the informal public transport in the state.
A statement by the ministry, which was obtained by our correspondent via email on Tuesday, said that it was disturbing that okada riders, as the commercial motorcycle operators were often called, were still plying the restricted routes, including bridges and highways with impunity.
He said, they were doing this in spite of the signing of the new law by Governor Babatunde Fashola, and the massive enlightenment campaign embarked upon by the state government.
He said that many innocent lives that could contribute meaningfully to the development of the state and the nation had been wasted as a result of accidents by motorcycles.
Opeifa also said that many children had become orphans, many wives had become widows while many husbands had become widowers as a result of such avoidable accidents.
Traffic congestion and delays had continued to be compounded by the menace of okada riders, he added.
He also said that the operators were using unapproved motorcycle, those below 200cc, which he noted as a violation of the new traffic law.
The commissioner said that it was necessary for the riders and passengers of motorcycles to voluntarily comply with the law as both riders and passengers could be culpable.
According to him, section 3 (6) of the law stipulates that where a rider is convicted for riding or driving on restricted routes or if they fail to wear standard protective crash helmets.
They could also contravene the law if found carrying more than one passenger, a pregnant woman, a child below the age of 12 years or an adult with a baby, a heavy load placed on the head or acts obstructing normal sitting on the motorcycle.
The passenger would also be liable and expected to receive the same penalty, the commissioner said.
Opeifa called on all motorcycle and tricycle operators to withdraw from all restricted routes, warning that anyone found violating the law would be appropriately penalised.
He, however, advised all unrecognised motorcycle associations in the state to affiliate with either the Motorcycle Operators Association of Lagos State under the control of the National Union of Road Transport Workers Association or Motorcycle Owners and Riders Association of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria.
He said that the law was made in the interest of all, and was aimed at reducing the carnage on the roads.
He added that of the 9,100 roads in the state, they were exempted from only 475 roads were restricted.
According to the statement, some of the restricted routes for motorcycle and tricycle operations are all the bridges, highways and dual carriage ways among others.
Others are the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, Apapa – Oshodi Expressway, Oworonshoki – Oshodi Expressway, Ikorodu Road, Funsho Williams Avenue, Lagos – Abeokuta Expressway, Third Mainland Bridge, Eti – Osa Lekki Expressway, Lagos – Badagry Expressway, Agege Motor Road, Alfred Rewane Road, Ahmadu Bello Way and Agege Motor Road.