Max, Gokada: We weren’t consulted before motorcycle ban in Lagos

Max and Gokada, motorbike hailing services, say the Lagos state government did not consult them before announcing its decision to ban commercial motorcycles on roads and highways across 15 local councils in the state.

The state government had announced its decision to implement the ban on commercial motorcycle better known as “Okada” and tricycle from February 1.

Gbenga Omotosho, the state commissioner for information and strategy, who announced the ban, had said the decision was in the interest of the state.

But at a press briefing on Wednesday, the on-demand transportation companies said their activities were well organised, trackable and safe for passengers and riders.

While Gokada boasted of above 20,000 rides over time with zero fatality rate, Max said it has “completed over 2-million trips with less than 100 incidents out of which less than 7 were serious, requiring a hospital visit. Till date, our fatality rate has remained at 0%.”

“We are also fully compliant with the requirement of the Law prohibiting the operation of motorcycles without rider and passenger helmets, carrying more than one passenger, comprehensive insurance, etc, in addition to other safety-related violations,” Adetayo Bamiduro, founder and CEO of MAX.ng, said.

“This blanket directive extending the ban to commercial ride-hailing operators is therefore not in accordance with the extant law, which guides us as a legal business.

“In addition to being fully compliant with the relevant laws, we have also, in the course of constant engagements with the government, demonstrated that we have the infrastructure and investments to address all safety and security concerns regarding the operations of motorcycles in the State,” it read.

“In terms of social impact, MAX has created 2200 direct jobs for our drivers and full-time staff and 73,000 indirect jobs. We have demonstrated our ability to elevate the average monthly income of a rider on our platform to more than three times what their peers in the informal sector earn.

“Government did not consult us before they banned Okada. It is extremely disheartening for us as companies because we are not unregulated Okada riders out there. It is extremely shocking to us that the government would not engage with us before arriving at this decision.

“We are also surprised that the government will not tap into the intelligence that our combined companies have assembled to be able to address this.”

Collaborating Bamiduro’s statement, Victor Daminabo, pilot operations manager at Gokada, said they are also fully compliant with the provisions of the law prohibiting the operations of motorcycles without rider and passenger helmets amongst others.

“We are also fully compliant with the requirements of the law prohibiting the operations of motorcycles without rider and passenger helmets, carrying more than one passenger, comprehensive insurance etc,” he said.

“In addition to being fully compliant with the relevant laws, we have also in the course of our constant engagements with the government, demonstrated that we have the infrastructure and investments to address all safety and security concerns regarding the operations of motorcycles in the state.”