Recommendations for Making Okada Safer and Better for Urban Mobility

ABSTRACT Okada is the common name for motorcycle taxis in Nigeria. Despite its huge benefits to urban travel, its growing popularity has aroused serious public concerns bordering chiefly on the recklessness and unruly behaviour of Okada operators. These concerns have led to prohibition or restriction of Okada operation in some cities, which is not in the best interest of the public. This study was undertaken to determine what needs to be done to make Okada safer and better. The objectives of the study were to: investigate Okada operators’ characteristics; know why and how people become Okada operators; determine the prevalence rates of various Okada crash scenarios; and to propose recommendations for making Okada safer and better for urban travel. The study found that the problems associated with Okada derive mainly from lack of training of the operators and absence of regulation of its operation. To make Okada safer and better, the study recommended the following measures: introduction of a compulsory motorcycle training program for prospective Okada operators, regulation of entry into Okada, provision of a fool-proof means of identification of Okada operators, and provision of separate Okada paths/lanes on busy corridors