Oyo state Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on Friday, commissioned two units of Ultra-modern Okada/Tricycle Loading points to enable organized conveyance of people to their different places of destinations.
The commissioning held at the Agodi Gate’s junction amidst Oyo cabinet members including the Secretary to the State Government, Olubamiwo Adeosun, Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Security matters, Fatai Owoseni, Chairman, state Advisory Council, Hosea Agboola and Chairman of the state’s Road Management Authority, Akin Fagbemi.
Makinde during the brief commissioning witnessed by Public Transporters stated that the points would be equipped with infrastructural facilities and that the points are roofed for Peoples convenience as the rainy season has come. His words:
“I greet everyone of you here this afternoon. You motorcyclists and tricyclists are part of those who made this government come into place and the government has decided to come up with this pilot project.
“We want a situation whereby those who want to use okada or tricyclist won’t have to stay under the sun nor be disturbed by the rain as rainy season is fast approaching. We also want you to be coordinated and organised. I already told the people in charge to install solar light here so that you can all do your businesses comfortably at night.
“We don’t want to ban okada and keke Marwa in the state but there must be regulation. So, what we want you to do is to get yourselves organised. We have security challenges and I must say that Okada and trycycle operators have to help the governement. When you are organised, you can fish out those who are using okada and tricycles to commit different crime and hand them over to the law enforcement agencies.
“The good news now is, if you use this place very well as expected, we will replicate it all over the places where there are garages like this in the state.
“At the back of this place, there will be toilets to avoid people from messing here up. So, let us organised ourselves because they use okada and tricycles also in advanced countries. There is no reason why we cannot manage this successfully.”
Lauding the Oyo state Government’s efforts at stabilizing all sectors of the Economy, Special Adviser to Governor Makinde on Security matters, Fatai Owoseni, noted that the points were facilitated to address insecurity matters which occurs over trivial issues.
“The governor has adopted a slogan for the state, which is P2P, from poverty to prosperity. And in line with that, His Excellency has always identified that there are potentials that are limited as one of the major factors that is causing unrest we are having all over the country.
“In view of this, the governor also believes that the transport operation in the state needs to be modernised to an extent. That is why we have resolved that on the operation of Okadas and Keke Marwa will not be banned in this state but will be modernised. So, he has brought the global best practice to Oyo State, which has translated to the construction of 2-unit of an ultra-modern okada and Keke NAPEP loading point at a pilot stage.
“What we are seeing here today can contain a total of 90 okadas and about 20 Keke NAPEP at a go. This will not only help the operation of only the okada riders but also the entire good people of Oyo State, who will not have to stand under the sun to enter either motorcycle or tricycle.
“I thank the governor for the opportunity that you have given us to translate tour dreams into a reality.”
The Loading points are expected to contain 20 tricycles and 90 bikes at once before being boarded for transportational activities.