Barely a week after Governor Babatunde Fashola of Lagos state reversed the controversial tuition increase imposed on Lagos State University (LASUTH) to its original N25,000, the state House of Assembly is plotting to review the partial ban on motorcycles in the state.
This became glaring when the House, through a motion sponsored by 10 members at its sitting, agreed to review the number of routes which the restrictions were imposed with a view to resolving controversies and constant clash between the Police and motorcycle operators.
The lawmakers, while arguing in favour of the motion, accused the Police and other law enforcement agencies of taking advantage of the law to wreak havoc on individuals and operators of commercial motorcycles in the state.
There have been reports of such attacks leading to the death of some motorcyclists. Many of the motorcyclists have also complained of indiscriminate arrest, harassments and exploitation by police in the state since 2012 when the Lagos Road Traffic Law was enacted.
At the plenary session on Wednesday, the House called on the State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, to urgently call on Umar Manko, the commissioner of Police in Lagos state, to ensure that officers of the force stop the indiscriminate arrest and exploitation of motorcyclists operating in routes not restricted by the law.
Lead sponsor of the motion, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade, said it was pathetic that many of the motorcyclists are daily manhandled and maltreated by the police and other agents.
He lamented that in implementing the law, many police officers no longer take human dignity and safety into consideration.
He also said such method of implementation of the law had become an embarrassment to the state government which is made to bear the consequences of such acts by the police.
Though the lawmakers all agreed that there was relative peace and reduction in accidents in the state, they held that there was need to urgently review the list of 475 roads where operations of motorcyclists had been restricted so as to resolve areas of controversies.
