The Lagos State House of Assembly on Monday said it might review the restriction placed on commercial motorcycle operators, popularly called okada riders, by the state Road Traffic Law to outright ban.
Okada riders had initially been restricted from operating on 475 major highways, roads and bridges in the state.
However, the okada riders had been protesting the restriction, saying it was meant to drive them out of jobs. One of the protests on Monday went violent as they vandalised some public properties.
Speaker of the Assembly, Mr. Adeyemi Ikuforiji, in reaction to the violent protest said if the riders did not stop the vandalism of government properties, the lawmakers of the state might have no choice but to ban their operations.
The Speaker said, “The Assembly will not hesitate to ban okada out-rightly if the riders continue to destroy government property and constitute nuisance in the state.”
Another lawmaker, Mr. Bisi Yusuf said, “Okada riders operations had been banned from states like Yola, Yobe, Kano, Abuja, Rivers and some parts of the Osun State. Banning them in Lagos will not be a new thing.”
Meanwhile, the Assembly also read Governor Babatunde Fashola’s letter for the presentation of 2013 budget estimate scheduled for October 31, 2012.
Also, the Assembly fixed the public hearing on the review of 1999 constitution in the six geo-political zone for November 15 and 16, 2012.