In Lagos State, cycling is gaining momentum according to this report by Joe Agbro Jr.
It was a bright day, perfect for outdoor activities. And for Komolafe Ademola and two of his friends in the highbrow Allen Avenue, Ikeja area, part of enjoying the day meant taking turns to leisurely ride a bicycle in the estate grounds.
“I love to cycle,” Ademola gushed after his turn, bustling with the energy of a contented young man. Hitherto, eyebrows would have been raised at the actions of Ademola and his friends. Except in the rural areas, In Nigeria, riding of bicycles is largely considered children’s pastime. But, that is not the situation in Lagos anymore. “It is good exercise and my two children have bikes of their own too. Atimes, instead of driving you can just go around with it. That guy (referring to one of his friends) has two cars,” Ademola said. “But he still loves riding.”
Ademola and his friend are not alone in this new found love for cycling. Indeed, many residents are beginning to adopt cycling as not only sports but also as a means of movement. And in different parts of Lagos, young people, especially boys and men can be seen pedalling away – either in the course of work or leisure.
For 15-year old Olakunle, a student of Oduduwa Grammar School, Mushin, riding a bike is fun. Though, he said only rides his bicycles within his Mushin residence. According to Olakunle, it is his brother who is a mechanic that uses the bicycle most of the time. “If he has a job to do somewhere,” he said, “that is what he uses to go there.”
While Olakunle rides just for fun, to Tunde Olaoye, a graphic artist who resides in Surulere, cycling is his mode of transportation to and fro work daily. “It is very easy and cheap for me,” he said. “I don’t have to worry about hold-up or transport fare. I just get on my bike and go where I want to.”
Indeed, on nearly every nook and cranny of the state, there is someone pedalling, even contesting the use of the road with motorists. Asked whether he worries about being knocked down by other vehicles, Olaoye offered his advice offhandedly. “Anyone who is not expert enough should not ride on busy roads.”
Also, it seems the introduction of the Lagos State Traffic Law which banned commercial motorcycles of categories of 200CC engine capacity or less from 475 roads in the state, has increased the number of bicycles on the road.
One of those affected is Benjamin Okpokri who works as an office assistant in Ikeja and blames his biking on the absence of commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada. “In the course of my work, I have to move around at short notice,” he said. “Because they (government) have banned Okada, I can’t do that anymore. Since there is no law against bicycles, it was decided I could be using it to move around. At first I didn’t like the idea. But, I am now enjoying it.”
Because of this renewed interest in cycling, second-hand bikes have flooded the market, and bicycle sellers are having a field day. Akeem, a bicycle seller at the Computer village, Ikeja said he has been enjoying huge patronage. “I used to sell only used computer parts before,” he said. “But, for the past two years, I’ve been selling bicycles and it is moving well.”
The costs of these second-hand bicycles range from about N10, 000 to N35, 000 depending on the functionality. Also, adornments such as crash helmets are available but so at the moment, traffic law enforcement officials hardly look at that. Hence, it is a common sight to see many of the riders get on highways without the proper safeguards such as crash helmets, shin guards, and knee pads. In addition, reflective lamps, and headlights are often missing on many of the bicycles.
The risky activities of these riders however have come to the notice of the Lagos State Safety Commission headed by Mrs. Dominga Odebunmi, the director-general. According to her, bicycling is a legal form of transportation which the Lagos state government recognises. She however that caution must be adhered to by the riders.
“The fun must be done in a safe manner,” she said. “If anything happens to them, it’s not going to affect only them. I notice that we don’t have as many bicycles as so many other countries. But, we want to encourage that bicycle riders should make use of their personal protective equipment which is their hard hats, knee pads, chin pads, and ride not in between vehicles. They should ride where the vehicle drivers can actually see them in the mirror. And they should lower their speed. They don’t race against vehicles on the road.”
Good advice for the riders. And while some people believe biking is just a fad, there is no doubt that it is fast catching on. And whether for work or leisure, it seems this way of getting from point A to point B is going to be around for sometime. Anyone in doubt just needs to move around Lagos to see the citizens’ growing passion towards biking.
