By Libby George
LAGOS, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Nigeria's business capital of
Lagos will ban commercial motorcycles from operating in large
parts of the city, the state government announced on Monday, a
move that could change the commute for thousands and threaten
ride-hailing startups.
The Lagos state government announced on Twitter that it
would ban motorcycles, commonly known as okadas, from operating
in most of Lagos because of what it described as their "chaos
and disorderliness" and "scary figures" of fatal accidents.
Companies such as Max.ng, Oride and Gokada have been aiming
to capitalize on the congested Lagos roads and the city's
teeming population to expand their operations. The ban cites a 2018 law to bar okadas and small
three-wheeled vehicles known as kekes from Feb. 1. It would bar
them from 40 bridges and flyovers and areas covering the
business districts of Victoria Island and Lagos Island, Apapa,
where the primary port is located and Ikeja, which is home to
the international airport.
Chinedu Azodoh, cofounder of Max.ng, is hopeful that the ban
would not apply to them since their bikes are above the 200
cubic centimeter engine size banned specifically by the law.
"From what we've seen today, we don't think the ban affects
our business," Azodoh said.
Still, he said, enforcement could be tough on their riders
and drivers if police are not well-versed on the specifics of
the law.
"We expect some more clarity on how this will be
implemented," he said.
Max.ng, which also operates in Kano, Ibadan and Akure in
Nigeria, had an investment round last year that raised more than
$5 million.
Startup Gokada also raised $5 million last year for its
Lagos operations. Founder Fahim Saleh said that while their
bikes are also above 200cc, he was not sure about the impact of
the ban on them.
"It's disappointing," he said, adding they would seek to
expand its operations in courier and logistics services. "We
don't know how it's going to be enforced."
ORide, part of OPay in which Norwegian software firm Opera
Ltd OPRA.O has an equity interest, also offers ride-hailing
motorcycles in Lagos. Reuters could not immediately reach the
company for comment.
In June, Gokada told Reuters that there are an estimated 8
million okada drivers operating across Nigeria.
($1 = 305.9500 naira)