At least three trucks of
motorcycles belonging to the popular ride-hailing platform, Opay, were
impounded on Monday by officials of the Lagos State Traffic Monitoring and
Enforcement team, our reporter learnt.
The sweeping seizure of the Opay
bikes was in line with the move by the state government to sanitize the
highways of the Opay riders which have taken over major highways in Lagos.
The On-Demand Motorbike Hailing
riders including Gokada, Max.ng, among others have been operating in Lagos for
the past two years serving as a bespoke alternative for people who want to beat
the terrific Lagos traffic.
It would be recalled that the
state government through a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of
Transportation, Dr. Salaam Taiwo, had said it did not approve the operation of
the motor bike hailing service providers.
It was learnt today that the decision to clamp
down on Opay riders followed the constitution of a new Traffic and
Environmental team by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
The exercise by the state government
has sparked outrage on the Nigerian Twittersphere. A Twitter user
(@MrFestusEmeka) had on Monday shared the photo and narrated how three
truckloads of motorcycles were impounded. He also pondered how the company
would recover from this “setback”.
“Can Opay bikes survive this
harsh reality? 3 trucks of impounded bikes today,” he said.
Can Opay bikes survive this harsh reality? 3 trucks of impounded bikes today. pic.twitter.com/kDL7GWUEpU— Festus. (@MrFestusEmeka) December 2, 2019
The photo has since sparked off reactions as some Lagosians
took to the microblogging platform to register their annoyance with the state
government.
While a number of users bemoaned a perceived intent by the
government to “frustrate private business”, others tackled the officials of the
National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) over their “above the law” activities
“Lagos needs a total overhaul bro. Who are these taskforce
guys that operate like demigods and it looks like they’re too powerful to be
checked,” a Twitter user asked
“We really can’t carry on like this. This is sad. This
nation is collapsing under Buhari’s watch,” a user also said.
“With what is happening to OPay in Lagos state, just imagine
a Bola Tinubu becoming a president of Nigeria. It will be a free flow for the
touts. The Nigerian system will fully collapse. Disorderliness will be the order
of the day. Corruption, thuggery will be the norm,” another user said.
OPay just want to ease the burden on Lagosians .....But these empowered touts are having non of it!....#Opay ....It’s really difficult to thrive in this Lagos....Sad!— Eburuaja Chibuike Ferdinand (@Chibuikeh_) December 3, 2019
I don't understand how or why someone finds what is happening to #Opay funny atm— OuchiBaby (@Miss_Marv) December 3, 2019
Like what's the source of your joy?
With what is happening to OPay in Lagos state, just imagine a Bola Tinubu becoming a president of Nigeria. It will be a free flow for the touts. The Nigerian system will fully collapse. Disorderliness will be the order of the day. Corruption, thuggery will be the norm! #Opay— Affidavit proffessor (@iyalode_canada) December 3, 2019
Opay is facing what individual Nigerians face everyday.— Gene Grey (@EuginhoCortez) December 2, 2019
This is what they do everyday and later talk about "Ease Of Doing Business", do Photoshoots and call young people "Lazy".
This is the absolute rubbish they do and tell us Fornication is what is bringing Meningitis.
Animals https://t.co/W7Q7UNkrn8
Opay will soon close business and move to Kigali, Accra, or Nairobi. Nigeria kills dream— Dr Grand (@Poshfelly) December 3, 2019
Nigeria thinks its fucking up just another 'Chinese Company'. But the truth is, its messing with its own people. The Nigerians employed by OPAY. The Nigerians who rely on the service to commute and earn a living. The Nigerian businesses who provide services to them. https://t.co/qEodzph9C9— Ikechukwu (@Ik3chukwu_M) December 2, 2019
Opay are beginning to experience the "Evil Forces" present in Nigeria that @NaijaFlyingDr spoke about a while ago. They never should have announced how much investment they raised and how much they are making. That was just red meat to the hyenas.— Dami Kolade (@DamiKols) December 2, 2019
The nigerian government is the number one enemy of Nigerians. Tueh— Kindly Follow Back (@Naijadailyfeedx) December 2, 2019
I say this with all sense of humility. Nigeria is a hopeless state.— Otugo 🔥 🇳🇬 (@otugo007) December 2, 2019
The painful part is that some supposedly educated youths will still find a way to defend this..— Schoolboy D (@Osamudiahmen) December 2, 2019
Enemy of progress, lagos state and its agencies want to kill @OPay_NG @getoride they have seized over 20 bikes and destroyed many as seen in the picture below. They wont create jobs neither would they create enabling environment#Opay pic.twitter.com/SlMEnTtulO— KMK (@kenikenson) November 27, 2019
#Opay might have refused to PAY O- mage to whom O- mage is due to.— TALLerANT (@ykcee8370) December 3, 2019
I know some Nigerians won't support any foreign investment but we can't innovate reasonable ideas that can compete with world class business.....i know some their riders are annoying but there no business without flaws. #Opay— Akings_mike (@AkingsMike) December 3, 2019
OPay just want to ease the burden on Lagosians .....But these empowered touts are having non of it!....#Opay ....It’s really difficult to thrive in this Lagos....Sad!— Eburuaja Chibuike Ferdinand (@Chibuikeh_) December 3, 2019
Anytime I go through threads like this I 😢, because I'm just 😴 of the insensitivities and nonchalantness of the people in power, in the way they handle matters has to do with the livelihood of the common people.— Obaje GodsMight (@ObajeGodsMight) December 3, 2019
Is the company not licensed buy government to operate?
Opay is facing what individual Nigerians face everyday.— Gene Grey (@EuginhoCortez) December 2, 2019
This is what they do everyday and later talk about "Ease Of Doing Business", do Photoshoots and call young people "Lazy".
This is the absolute rubbish they do and tell us Fornication is what is bringing Meningitis.
Animals https://t.co/W7Q7UNkrn8
Lagos needs a total overhaul bro. Who are these taskforce guys that operate like demigods and it looks like they're too powerful to be checked.— Alonso (@Danjuma_steven) December 2, 2019
I saw an article where Lagos State govt in collaboration with NURTW guys asked for about US $520k annually as license fee before Opay can operate freely in Lagos.— Ejekanonu Benjamin Chukwudum (@ejekanonu) December 2, 2019
I saw an article where Lagos State govt in collaboration with NURTW guys asked for about US $520k annually as license fee before Opay can operate freely in Lagos.— Ejekanonu Benjamin Chukwudum (@ejekanonu) December 2, 2019
Succinctly put, how do you explain this? You just wake up one day and round of bikes, some of these people who owns those bikes might have gotten it at"higher purchase" which means he will be remitting money, daily or weekly....Prof Osinbanjo will have some explanation in English— Deejay Walaky (@walaky2000) December 2, 2019
This country is not it at all. Every day, I keep disconnecting little by little for this mess called a country. Things are not working in this place at all. The ones working are being frustrated— Funmi (@adeniyifunmmy23) December 2, 2019
The Monitoring and Enforcement Coordination Committee headed by former Commissioner for Transport in the state, Kayode Opeifa, is to monitor and enforce all the new executive orders and other existing laws of the state “with high sense of responsibility and the seriousness they deserve.”
Part of the mandate given to the committee which comprises all security agencies was to clear the highways and some restricted areas of commercial motorcycles in line with the extant law on Okada ban.
The enforcement which started on Monday has seen dozens of Opay bikes impounded on some Lagos highways.
Some of the areas where the operation was carried out were Secretariat area in Alausa-Ikeja, Victoria Island, Ikoyi, among others.
One of the riders who simply identified himself as Felix said he narrowly escaped the arrest today.
He said, “They disturbed us well well today. The new CP is giving us serious problem and many motorcycles were impounded today but I am sure our management is addressing the issue with them.”
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