The Ban on commercial Tricycles & Bikes in Lagos State; What did residents stand to gain? -By Opadeji Samuel Olumide

It’s no more a news or You may well be aware that the Lagos State Government has banned commercial motorcycles and tricycles effective 1st February 2020. Whether this actions by Lagos State government is well with common citizen or not, Every individual will be impacted by it. It does not matter if you drive by this means of transportation or not every day and citizen have many options among your cars to pick from, this will definitely impact individual business because some employees, collaborators, suppliers and vendors will most likely receive a hit from this pronouncement from the Lagos State government. So, what did common resident supposed to do?
For people who run businesses in other parts of Nigeria, especially commercial cities, please do not rejoice yet that you are not based in Lagos. We know that most of what happens in Lagos finds its way to other states, Let tell a story of one young man which this actions by the government affected ( Tade). A resident in Lagos State and an hustler.

Tade, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo university, who studied chemistry as his discipline, graduated with a smiling grade of 2.1, indeed, he has passed through the scary furnace of campus to have graduated with such on institutions like “the great ife”.

Sometimes, life causes the lazy to shine after years of idleness and makes the hardworking loathe like a huge debt to be paid. Meet Ganiyu, one of the fast and furious boys on campus who uses his way to make a way for himself to scale through. After 3 years of tiring job hunting, Tade who has no choice and believes in ” I’d rather be a slave in the country rather than being a night man, eventually ventured into being a tricycle rider. Tade who already had a family of 4, 3 beautiful kids, Tinuke, Timilehin and Teniola including his 8 months pregnant wife, who is a full house wife, has no choice than to drop his desired white collar job for a transport collar job when he met Ganiyu who is the tarmac chairman for surulaye-gba road to Tiled Road who made a graceful decision to help Tade buys a new keke napep who he’s to pay by installment for a working period of a year

Tade who takes responsibilities on his younger ones and leads other welfarism as a man does was exhilarated at the new innovations even without no backup business or trade.

After several years of working as a tricycle rider, Tade still has a sum of #266,985.00 to balance Ganiyu before he could be the rightful owner of the keke napep when he heard of the ban on tricycles and bikes. What a tragedy would that be! Ganiyu who isn’t a fan of tales has his money to receive irrespective of his utopian of wisdom on the ban, his pregnant wife then already gave birth to set of twins who already begin their first year in school. His younger brother who’s also in the final year of his studies, studying mechanical engineering needs enough of money to complete his project, Mr. Sadiku already awaiting his 6 months rent fee from Tade, and quite unfortunate Tade’s means of livelihood is dying gradually. When won’t he be depressed? And when will he not commit suicide, cause I once saw him at the top floor of the 16 storey building of a company, who knows of his thought?.

The ban on tricycles and bikes, is it the rightful measure to end insecurity in Lagos state? If yes, what about the citizens who do not have a private car, how shall we convey ourselves? .