Okada accidents up by 34% — LAGOS GOVT
Meantime, the state government revealed that at least 61,138 vehicles that violated the state Road Traffic Law were impounded in 2014, even as it said 400 Bus Rapid Transit, BRT buses would soon be injected into the transport fleet to further ease movement of commuters in the state.
Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Kayode Opeifa, who disclosed this at the annual ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja, lamented that the number of okada-related accidents reduced previously by 81 percent before the latest upsurge.
According to him, “We have started witnessing an increase since January 2015, both in reported death cases and injuries. Specifically, injuries in Okada related accidents have increased by 34 percent when compared with the 4th quarter of 2014.
“This is largely due to the resurgence of okada as public transportation on our roads with impunity most especially in local areas like: Ikeja, Isolo, Apapa, Agege, Epe, Ijede, Shomolu/ Bariga, Ifako ijaiye/Ojokoro, Ikorodu, Mushin, Badagry, Lagos Mainland, Ojodu, Ketu and ojota”, he said.
He, however said that the government transport strategies have “prevented an average of 476okada-related injuries monthly and 5,712 yearly.
‘’By implication, we have prevented a total of 14,220 okada accident related injuries since 2012.”
There was a reduction in the number of okada related accidents, following the enforcement of Lagos Road Traffic Law 2012, which restricted operations of okada in some 475 out of 10,000 roads in the state.
The commissioner said that the state government was able to reduce deaths from 192 per year to maximum of six per year.
Opeifa noted that motor vehicle-related accidents have also reduced since 2012 adding that in 2013, it was reduced by 28-31 percent and in 2014 by 31-37 percent.
“The accident prone areas are Ikorodu, Epe, Badagry, Agbara, Surulere, Apapa, Mainland, Ijede, Ojodu and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway”, he said
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