Now that has dawned on stakeholders that all types of okada are affected by the recent widespread restriction by the Lagos State Government, Gokada and Max operators have raised objections.
According to them, the government’s move is insensitive to the investment they have made.saying investments running into millions of dollars would be lost, and thousands of people would be jobless.
The Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of MAX, Adetayo Bamiduro, during a press briefing at the company’s office at Ikeja on Wednesday, said despite making two million trips, the company’s riders had recorded “less than 100 incidents.”
He stressed that less than seven were serious and required hospital visits, adding that till date, the company had zero fatalities.
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Bamiduro explained that the company’s motorcycle engines were all 220cc, a 10 per cent increase above the requirement of the Lagos State Transport Sector Reform Law 2018.
He said, “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, in addition to other safety-related violations.
“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.
“To keep them safe physically and mentally, our drivers are provided with smartphones, accident insurance, two helmets, branded clothing, and first aid equipment. Both drivers and passengers have accident insurance and the drivers, in addition, have functional HMOs.
“In recent past, the government has consistently represented that it intends to regulate the motorcycle hailing industry and actively encouraged the operators to invest millions of dollars in asset acquisition, technology and manpower; and suddenly, and without prior consultations, proceed to place a ban which does not accord with the law.
“This is essentially aimed at disenfranchising technology-based mobility startups and an open admission that the government is not ready for investment does not care about the livelihood of citizens and would instead of tackling the issues headlong, adopt a totalitarian approach.”
