Okada Ban: Residents Appeal For Reversal Of Decision

Some residents of suburbs of Jos have appealed to the Plateau State Government to reverse its decision on the ban on all motorcycles from ply some major roads in the state.

The residents told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos on Saturday that they now faced transportation difficulties because of the decision.

A resident, Mr Yusuf Kieku, said that taxis and tricycle operators avoided some neighbourhoods even where the roads were motorable, adding that the newly-introduced state-sponsored transport vehicles were inadequate.

Mr Jeremiah John, a commuter, told NAN that he had just walked a kilometre from his residence to connect the only taxi route in the area.

“This has become my normal routine since the ban, as taxis do not go beyond this only tarred road,” he said.

?John described the routine as cumbersome.

?“My wife also goes through this routine daily to take our only daughter to school as we can no longer secure the services of an Okada rider. ’’

He said that he also owned a motorcycle which has now become useless to him since the ban.

Mr Ezekiel Longs, a resident of Rantya, said that he had been assisting some of the residents with his car to ?nearby taxi routes, especially when it rained.

He called on the government to allow the motorcycles ply some areas, particularly the suburbs.

NAN recalls that the Commissioner for Information, Mr Abraham Yiljap, had said that the decision was for security reasons.

Yiljap said that the government had provided 500 tricycles and 300 mini-cabs to take care of intra-city transportation. (NAN)