Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan

Oyo State Government, yesterday gave a 14-day ultimatum to operators of commercial motorcycles, tricycles and cars, popularly known as Micra, to paint their vehicles to the commercial colours of the state or risk arrest.

Chairman, Oyo State Transport and Road Management Authority (OYTRMA), Mogaji Akin Fagbemi, gave the ultimatum when he met with  stakeholders in the transport business in his office.

He said: “I want to bring to our notice that there is a law in the state, which we have not been following and it is important to enforce it, considering the security situations and outcries of our people.

“We have observed that and have seen a lot of Micra and some tricycles that are not painted in commercial colours of the state.

“We have also noticed that we cannot differentiate between okada that is being used for commercial and the one being used for private. We cannot even differentiate the ones being used for robbery and kidnapping.

“But the law, which is not new, stipulates that all okada, from now on must be painted in commercial colours of the state and I am giving them two weeks. If your okada and tricycles are commercial, they must be painted in the commercial colours of the state.

“It will go a long way in the area of identification. It will also help to control the influx of those who are not part of us. We can easily identify them.

“This laws have been in existence and the problem is the enforcement, which we want to start now. We are going to give them a grace of 14 days.

“Now, we want to enforce it, such that it will help us to know those tricycles, motorcycles and Micra that are meant for the state.

“Those ones that are not for the state, we will identify them and we know how to sort them out.”