LAGOS (Reuters) - Nigeria’s business capital Lagos will ban commercial motorcycles from nearly the entire city, citing overcrowding and safety, authorities said on Monday, a move that could change the commute for thousands and threaten ride-hailing startups.
The Lagos state government announced on Twitter that it would ban motorcycles, commonly known as okadas, from operating in most of Lagos because of what it described as their “chaos and disorderliness” and “scary figures” of fatal accidents.
Companies such as Max.ng, Oride and Gokada have been aiming to capitalize on the congested Lagos roads and the city’s teeming population to expand their operations.
The ban cites a 2018 law to bar okadas and small three-wheeled vehicles known as kekes from Feb. 1. It would bar them from virtually all the main commercial and residential neighborhoods. Only one major area, far west of central Lagos, was not listed.
It could anger Lagosians who rely on the two- and three-wheeled vehicles to zip through intense congestion that regularly traps larger vehicles for hours, as well as the drivers who rely on them for income.
On Tuesday morning, passengers queued up in the center of town, some hopping on Gokadas with their signature green helmets and others waiting their turn for one of dozens of other drivers who zipped away as quickly as they arrived.
As yellow kekes streamed past, Lagos resident Folarin Bosun said the government could not offer an alternative to okadas and kekes - which are often his only option to get to work on time.
“RESTRICTION ON POOR PEOPLE”
“Whatever the plan is, it’s not
