Kogi State Ministry of Transportation has banned the operation of Tricycles and commercial motorcycles popularly known as Okada from all highways in the State with effect from Monday, the 17th January, 2022.

State Commissioner for Transportation, Baron Joseph Okwoli disclosed this in Lokoja.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Alhaji Okene Jibril said the decision was reached after exhaustive deliberations by relevant stakeholders in the sector aimed at ensuring sanity, safety and security of road users and commuters in the State.

He said the decision was in tandem with the policy of the Ministry to strategize and map out plans and programs to ensure smooth operations by road users and safety of commuters.

According to the Commissioner, Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria ,TOAN, has equally been requested to submit a comprehensive list of all Tricycle Operators with details of their bio data to the Ministry on or before 4th February, 2022 for a data base.

” All Tricycle and Okada operators shall no longer ply the highways in Kogi State and are restricted to township routes” he stressed.

Every Tricycle must be coded and branded in line with the designated area of operation, guide against overloading and ensure that the left side of their tricycles are barricaded with iron rod to prevent any accidental fall on the road.

Furthermore, the Commissioner said; Tricycle and Okada riders shall ensure that their left and right side mirrors are firmly fixed and also ensure that necessary valid papers and documents are put in order and produced on demand by enforcement agencies.

He stated that all trucks/vehicles operating within the State are to observe minimal speed limits in residential areas.

Mobile Courts, according to him, have been constituted to prosecute defaulters and offenders .