A visit to Queen ebong's blog Read here reminded me that I need to comment on the aftermath of the Okada Ban in my blog. Being a resident of Abuja, I found out that the aftermath of outright ban of commercial motorcycle operators (popularly called Okada) in Abuja is taking its toil on everyone. While the non car users are complaining seriously of exorbitant fares they have to coughed out to Kabukabus (private vehicle used as commercials) for their daily business transactions, the car owners too are into some serious experience of hold ups, go slows and traffic jams.
The available buses could definitely not go round, so those who will want to abandon their cars and pursue their daily business transactions with Okada had no alternatives than to go with their cars nowadays, the result is perennial hold ups, traffic jams and go slows. This normally occurs in the morning, afternoon and closing hours.
The truth is the government did not do their home work very well before discarding with Okadas. I had always ponder that, the move is a life saving for the Okads operators, but another look shows that, the commercial motorcylce operator business needs careful regulatory in the capital city, less the rate at which things are going on now, we will witness a real traffic congestion, worse than that of Lagos, that at the end of the day, government might be tempted to ban the use of certain categories of transporation again.
The journey that will take you some 5 minutes drive in the past now take you up to 20 - 30 minutes because of hold ups, jams or go-slows. I had just contributed the habit of driving in the outskirts of towns to get to my house, because that is more free and faster even though it is a long route.
Though the menace of Okadas is now a thing of the past, the menace of the Taxis, Bus drivers and the Kabukabus are the next nightmares on Abuja roads nowadays. Dont jump into conclusion, I am not saying those too should be ban to ease the traffic hold-ups, jams and go-slows. I just pause to ponder aloud.
3 comments:
I have been a resident of Abuja for 6 years and left to me alone, I am comfortable with these Okada men even though they are a niusance cos they even drop you infront of your house no matter how far. But these taxi and bus drivers will simply drop U on the main road and U will have to do a long walk home even though U are so exhausted you cant walk.
What these politicians dont know is that they are creating an avenue for increase in robbery in the FCT.
If these Okada men that have been put out of the only trade they know then they will resolve to robbing others since they cant make ends meet and feed their family or send their children to school.
The situation is PATHETIC
The problem with our contry is that they dont weigh the pros and cons of any policy. They simply implement it the way they want and the ordinary man is left to face the consequences.
Poilcy Makers should have realised that traffic Jams and the like would have been the attendant consequence of their policy and either provided more cars or made more roads motorable. But thats asking for too much isnt it? Only in Nigeria!!!
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