Among the numerous essence of government is to provide security, healthcare, education and job opportunities to its citizenry. Government as well makes favourable laws for the overall benefit and the wellbeing of its people. The lack of these good laws or inabilities of government to meet these obligations has in some glaring instances pitched the people against the authorities on laws viewed to be antithetical to the feelings and well-being of the masses. The executive bill titled “Kaduna State Commercial Motorcycles Prohibition Law”, which replaced the Commercial Motorcycle Law No. 4 of 1999 and the Road Traffic Law Cap 135 of Kaduna State 1991 and assented to May 6; by Governor Muktar Ramalan Yero was a good pill wrongly prescribed.
The ban which took effect on May 21, affects the entire Kaduna North and Kaduna South; Kafanchan Metropolis in Jema’a Local government only, parts of Zaria township, parts of Chikun Local Government, Sabon Gari, Lere, Birnin Gwari, Giwa and Igabi Local Government Areas. Contravention attracts aN10,000 fine, or three months’ imprisonment or both and also empowers all magistrate courts in the affected local government areas to prosecute violators of the law, including confiscation of their motorcycles.
Government’s reason was built on two standpoints: First was that the ban was aimed at reinforcing security in the state while the second was predicated on the influx of commercial motorcycles into the state following a similar ban on their operations in some neighbouring states.
By banning the use of motor cycles, the government has placed the cart before the horse. One cannot see any concrete alternative and visible palliatives in place to cushion the effect which the ban will create. For instance, are there available Tricycles for about 100,000 commercial motor cycle operators to cash in on?
The imminent suffering before the provision of alternative cannot be quantified. Has government considered how much man-hours will be lost while people wait for means of transportation to their offices and businesses before succor finally comes?
Sunday Onyemaechi Eze,
PHCN Samaru Business Unit, Zaria.
