CILT backs Lagos State ban on motor cycles

By Albert Akota

The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Nigeria, (CILT) has said its organisation is in support of the recent ban of motor cycles and tricycles otherwise known as Okada and Keke Maruwa by the Lagos State government in major areas across the state.
This is even as he called for introduction of road tax system that will discourage use of privately-owned vehicles on certain roads around the state.
Speaking in an interview, the President of the Young Professionals of the CILT, Dennis Ujah opined that the ban was long overdue saying it should have been done long ago.
According to him, “There is little or nothing the Lagos state government could do differently. It is long overdue it is something the government should have done long ago as keke and okada deface the face of Lagos state.
“You will recall that while Keke and Okada were in operations, it was whole contribution to congestion on the road, it was a whole menace to obstruction, accidents and crime at its peak.
Their ban is a welcome development that must be sustained as It will aid the actualization of a smart city which Lagos is tending towards as well as reduce insecurity
Making proposals on ways through which the Lagos state government can encourage the use of public transportation while ensuring it works on providing a robust and effective transportation system.
“The Lagos state government can further enforce this by ensuring that driving privately owned cars are greatly discouraged by way of a tax system.
The government can mark some roads as taxed road meaning that if you drive a private car on this road, you will be taxed.
This itself will discourage the use of private owned cars while encouraging the use of public transportation system,” he explained
“Another thing they can do to ensure sustainability is that they should regulate the movement of the public.
They could ensure that other businesses apart from bank businesses and white collar jobs are restricted to movement Say from 6am to 8am; we could have only those on white collar jobs move on the road, thereafter you could regulate the market and shopping malls to open for 9am.