Drivers of motorcycle taxis wait for passengers on a sidewalk along the outer marina road in Lagos August 31, 2010. Nigeria's commercial hub Lagos is trying to bring order to hundreds of thousands of chaotic motorcycle taxis, banning them from major roads and from carrying pregnant women or riding on the pavement. The bikes, known as "okadas", swarm like mosquitoes around sub-Saharan Africa's most populous city, swerving to avoid bribe-hungry traffic police, often mounting the kerb and frequently carrying entire families on their tired frames. - Reuters.
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We have to remember that the 'okada' resulted from a grossly inadequate rood network.Their great maneuverability gave them the edge over taxis.Commuters who did not want to sleep in the traffic had to take 'okadas'.Also, 'okadas' would take you to your doorstep,through roads that would be impassable to taxis and buses.
ReplyDeleteHaving become a valid business,employing thousands of people,the government can not treat the claims of it's tax-paying practitioners with disdain.Government should encourage them to diversify,instead of banning,and throwing them out of work,over-night.
But then i hate the idea and practice of governing through bans.A sure sign of governmental intellectual laziness or insensitivity.About the only thing i would ban is "fufu".What is government waiting for.Please check out my blog:http://henryik2009.wordpress.com.
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