Ondo Tightens Traffic Rules, Bans Okada Around Government House

By Asaye Bankole

The Ondo State Government has announced an immediate ban on the movement of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, around the Government House area in Alagbaka, Akure.

The directive was announced on Tuesday by the Special Adviser to the Ondo State Governor on Transportation, Hon. Muyiwa Ogunyemi, during a media chat with journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Akure.

Ogunyemi explained that Okada riders would only be permitted to operate along the route towards the Police Officers’ Mess and through First Bank in Alagbaka, with the permitted route terminating around the Teaching Service Commission area.

He also directed tricycle operators and Okada riders operating around the Post Office area to relocate as part of measures to improve traffic flow and ensure better control of road users within the state capital.

The Special Adviser warned that motorists and other road users who violate traffic lights would be arrested and prosecuted without delay.

He further announced that the government had prohibited the parking of vehicles and the display or sale of goods on roads, stressing that the measure was aimed at reducing traffic congestion and improving the appearance and safety of major roads in Akure.

Ogunyemi urged residents, commercial transport operators and other road users to cooperate with the government, noting that the administration was taking measures to make Akure a better, safer and more organised state capital.

He disclosed that zebra crossings and speed-limit signs would also be installed at strategic locations across the city, particularly around areas with schools, in an effort to reduce speeding and protect pedestrians and schoolchildren.

The Special Adviser advised motorists, Okada riders, tricycle operators and other road users to pay close attention to road signs and strictly obey traffic regulations.

He stressed that compliance with the new measures would help improve the free flow of traffic and contribute to a safer road environment across Akure.