By IGNATIUS IGWE

The Lagos State Government has announced that it would launch buses to replace motorcycles popularly known as Okada and tricycles known as Keke to ply inner roads in the state.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu disclosed this on Monday during a security stakeholder’s town hall meeting in Ikeja, adding that over 500 minibusses would be deployed next week.

He said the move is to alleviate the pain residents of the state go through following the restriction of motorcycle and tricycle operations.

“We are excited to announce that next week, we will be launching what we term the ‘Last Mile Buses’ that will ply inner roads and safely get commercial passengers to their final destinations,” he said.

“We envisage deploying over 500 of these buses to alleviate the pain associated with the restriction of motorcycle and tricycle operations.

“We also envisage that this initiative will also generate employment opportunities for Lagosians, including the commercial motorcyclist operators, who will be employed as operators of the Last Mile Buses.”

The governor said his administration would relaunch the State Residents Card very soon, to ensure that the database of Lagos residents is kept up to date.

According to him, the database will form a critical part of the state’s security architecture, noting that it will ensure that the government knows who is who, at any point in time.

On cultism-related activities, Sanwo-Olu recalled that he “recently signed into law the Prohibition of Unlawful Societies and Cultism Act of 2021.”

He said the move was necessitated by the fact that criminal gangs have been unleashing violence and causing mayhem in and around the state.

He added, “The law prescribes a 21-year jail term for convicted cultists. The new law strengthens the penalties applicable to cultists, and expands coverage to the entire society, unlike the old law which was restricted to cultism by students of tertiary institutions.

“With the passage of this new law, it will help in widening the dragnet in the hunt and prosecution of these nefarious gangs intent on sowing fear and chaos in the state.” (Channels TV)