Two months after the suspension of commercial motorcycles, popularly called Okada, in Akure, the Ondo State Capital, the State government, on Monday lifted the suspension placed on their activities.
The okada riders and the state government were at loggerhead following a protest staged by the riders against a newly introduced government’s policy on plate numbers.
At the process of the protest, the okada riders were accused of destroying some government properties, including flowers planted along Oyemekun/Oba-Adesida road.
Lifting the ban, Governor Olusegun Mimiko, who addressed stakeholders in transport business at the Cocoa Conference Hall of his office in Akure at a meeting attended by members of the State executive council and the heads of security agencies in the State, also announced that ticketing activity by the okada operators in the state which was equally suspended would commence in October.
According to him “obtaining tickets will now be regularized and it will be an arrangement between the various stakeholders and the representatives of the State government.
“From October 1, you will start to collect your tickets. We said October so that every arrangement must have been concluded before then and all disagreement that may arise must have been resolved,
“There will not be room for any illegal fees anywhere. All registered commercial motorcycles will be painted, but you are not going to pay for the painting. There will be special jackets for the operators so that our people can be sure of the genuineness of the Okada operators.”
The governor said the new arrangement was to ensure the safety of the people and ensure that peace reigned in the State.
He, however, said there would be total restriction of commercial motorcycle activities from FUTA North Gate to Shasha along Owo road, FUTA South Gate to Oyemekun/Adesida/Fiwasaye road, Fiwasaye to Oke-ijebu road junction and Army Barrack/Arakale/Igbatoro road junction.
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