If you live in Lagos, then you already know about the Okada ban. This is not only because it’s on the news but because you have skin in the game of the stress it has caused. We don trek bastard, please.
On Saturday, there was a peaceful protest over the ban but we are yet to see any significant response from the Government. Are we truly on our own?
To better understand the far-reaching effects of this ill-advised policy, we asked both car owners and leggedez benz owners in Lagos to share with us their experience in the past week. In addition, we got an Okada man to tell us his story.
Here’s what they had to say:
Olamide:
“Before, I’d park my car and take bikes when I wanted to avoid traffic. Even in Lagos, it’s not everywhere you can drive to. Now, it’s everywhere I must drive to. It’s really shitty. It takes longer and it’s more stressful.”
Anne:
It hasn’t affected me though because buses ply my route to and fro work. However, I constantly say these words when I remember that my co-workers trek to work every day: “Sango, Amadioha, Ogun will punish all of them in their jeeps.”
Coachito:
“Fam. I saw terrible things. I have had to trek long distances to work in the past few days that I never imagined I could complete. To worsen things, they have increased the price of buses so bye-bye to budgeting. I had already planned my spending for this month: remove money for valentine gift, save and manage what’s left. Everything has scattered.“
Nunu:
“I see kids walking to school. It’s sad. I’d pick them up but I can’t help everyone. Also, crowd control. I don’t want to encourage them getting into anybody’s car. I could be a kidnapper.”
Sisi:
“It hasn’t affected me as much as I thought it would. I suddenly realized that my house is not far from Ikeja underbridge and it is very trekkable 🙂.“
Ayo:
“Traffic!!!!!! O porrrrrrrr. The traffic is worse and I hate driving which makes it worse. Regardless, I never used bikes so it hasn’t affected me. The tricycles on the other hand…They helped when I didn’t want to drive in traffic, which is a lot of times. But the route I pass now, I either use the car or a bus so I don’t really have a need for bikes or tricycles.“
Maxwell:
“As I dey like this, na house I dey. I no even know wetin I go do. Na Okada I don dey ride all these years. I no know which work I go do. If to say I never marry, I for no too worry, I even get pikin.”
