When many states across the country clamped down on motorcycles for a number of unpleasant reasons such as overloading, recklessness, over-speeding and dangerous riding, many people had thought that there would be sanity on our roads. Alas, they were dead wrong! Our people are good when it comes to bending the rules to satisfy and escaping from the dangers inherent in their actions.
They would always want to do things in their own way, their style, their pace and at the best time that is suitable for them. This is a social problem that cannot be wished away with ease. Every sane clime would naturally have a set of rules, code of behaviour and expectations from the people. Aside this, Nigerians are very impatient. They like to do things at will without necessarily considering the best interest of others.
Tricycles were introduced in Lagos state by the then military administration, Colonel Buba Marwa (retd). The massive importation of tricycles encouraged more people to take to that line of self-employment. Keke Marwa operators tried to beat others in that before then, the common means of public transportation was the use of taxi cabs with commercial buses joining as the population shot up. It was called Keke Marwa until the name was changed to ‘Keke Napep’ during the time of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s National Agency for Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) that made it possible for importation of large quantities of tricycles into the country for our youths.
The rationale behind banning motorcycles (okada) in many state municipals had to do with the negative consequences associated with the fast-growing mode of transportation in many developing nations. It is cheaper to purchase, manage and ride, unlike cars or vehicles that require more attention and effort to move from one place to another. Many people feel that tricycles should not be proscribed in the sense that it remains a cheaper mode of transportation and is not expensive to purchase and even maintain.
Today, Keke Napep has turned into a nightmare for many road users. They have become prime sources of trauma to commuters and other motorists. The terror on the road has become notorious for reckless over-speeding, disobeying traffic rules and meandering through every available space between vehicles on serious traffic situations. I have seen on several occasions whereby tricycle riders struggle with vehicle owners in the course of plying the roads. I kept wondering what makes the Keke operator feel special or important or have the audacity that they can do and undo?
There is a thin line of difference between motorcycles and tricycles and they can never be equated as alternative to vehicles. In actual sense, what most motorcyclists did was to dispose of their motorcycles and purchase tricycles. What it means is that nothing has really changed. It is the same personalities behind the machines that are there still carrying excess luggage, overloading, snatching of bags and other crimes in the society.
The narrative can simply be likened to an old wine in a new bottle. No matter how much the wine is packaged or represented, it remains the same because nothing has actually been changed. It is for this reason that a better approach should be put in place to tame this monster. It remains a social problem because of the lives and property of the people that are connected and open to untold experiences. To start with, the purchase of tricycles for commercial purposes should be revisited. It should be well regulated in order to prevent people of questionable character from becoming commercial tricyclists overnight. Indiscriminate importation of tricycles into the country should be closely monitored, as many of the machines are not roadworthy at all.
Local government personnel plying the roads should stop looking elsewhere but be beaming their searchlight on only cars and buses at the disadvantage of motorcycles and tricycles. Stiffer penalties such as fines should be put in place to punish anyone that violates traffic rules and regulations. Law enforcement agents should be supportive in restoring sanity on our roads. They should not compromise their status by setting free offenders. This often happens when reckless offenders plead with law enforcement agents to set them free and never to be punished. This gives some of them the courage to misbehave and feel on top of the world.
When law enforcement agents come to the rescue of offenders with ease, they encourage indiscipline and lawlessness. They become accomplice and partaker in committing the offence. This is a major problem facing this area because offenders are not always appended, tried and convicted. The installation of speed-breakers on the keke itself would go a long way in ensuring compliance to road regulations. Educational awareness, public enlightenment and sensitisation of the people on what to do and to avoid doing, would go a long way in getting our drivers to behave properly and decently. More importantly, they should keep remember to always keep our roads free and safe for all.
