Transportation
Katsina FRSC Raises Alarm Over Influx of Banned ‘Okada’ From Other States
The ban placed on Okada and Keke Napep seems to be having its toils on other states as there is an influx of motorcycles in some states.
The Katsina State branch of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Saturday raised concerns on the influx of banned motor cycles otherwise known as ‘’Okada’’ from other states into Katsina
States like Lagos, Nasarawa, and others had banned the operations of Okada in their respective states; hence the affected operators are now shipping their wares to Katsina
The Public Relations Officer of the Commission in the state, Root Commander, Abubakar Usman said that the situation has hampered the coordination of the recent clampdown on the violators of the recently introduce regulations on the operation of commercial motorcycles in the state.
He further admitted that the absence of the regulatory code for okada riders in the state encouraged such violations like blaring of music, removal of motorcycle plate numbers, use of window curtains to shield the identities of the passengers, removal and none use of side mirrors and glasses while riding the motorcycles.
He said ‘’ we are currently working together with sister agencies in the state to clamp down on violations of Okada/ Tricycle operations in the state. To identify and punish those riding without side mirrors, plates numbers and involved in other forms of violations in the state’’
‘’This clampdown operations started last August and is still continuing, though we are number of cycle being shipped into the state from other states kept increasing’’
‘’We are calling on Okada/ Tricycle riders and owners to register and revalidate their vehicle papers and obtain class A riders license in view of the security challenges affecting the state so as to enhance the security and guard against wrath of the law’’.
He also appealed to commercial drivers in the state to shun overloading and not carry more than three people in a row, while urging okada riders to carry the number of stipulated passengers.