Residents of Port Harcourt have hailed the state government’s proposed ban of commercial motorcycle operators, popularly known as Okada. The Rivers Government had recently proposed a ban on commercial motorcycle operators in Port Harcourt and its environs starting from Dec. 31. Speaking with Niger Delta STANDARD in Port Harcourt, a resident, Mr Kelechi Boms, said that the government’s proposed ban of motorcycle operators was a welcome development. He said the ban would reduce accidents and crime rate in the area. Mrs Ngozi Goodluck, a resident, said that instead of people loosing their lives or getting injured through their reckless driving, it would be better for them to stop operating. Goodluck said that motorcycle operators had contributed greatly to the crime rate and had become a major means through which criminal activities were carried out in the state. Another resident, Mrs Ibikuno Opubo, said that the proposed ban was one of the wisest decisions of the state government. I have never seen such callous and reckless set of human beings like commercial motorcycle operators in my life,” she said. Opubo said that the operators never obeyed traffic rules and regulations, which, she added, had given rise to motorcycle related accidents. “For safety of lives, they need to be restricted to some areas or banned totally,” she added.
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