Okada (commercial motorcycle)
Encyclopedia
Okada refers to commercial motorcycles used as vehicles for hire
in Nigeria
. The name Okada was borrowed from Okada Air
, a now defunct local airline in Nigeria.
Okadas have thrived during gasoline shortages in Nigeria due to their superior fuel economy to cars. A weak mass transit system has spawned the use of these alternate means of transport. Okadas are also able to navigate and travel roads where no car has gone before - especially true in villages, and urban slums. Okada riding has been described as “a unique experience” by regular passengers and tourists. Okadas are used in cities like Lagos
by businessmen, government workers, students to overcome traffic congestion.
, a medium-sized city in the north-eastern state of Adamawa
, Nigeria, provides additional insight into the nature of the okada business. The study showed that about 88% of the okada riders were aged between 18 and 30 years and only 47% of them received formal education of any form.
The 1993 survey also elicited information from 106 motorcycle users. Customers were generally: male (65%); young adults between 18 and 30 years of age (57%); in possession of a diploma from a secondary school or higher (83%); unemployed but in the job market (59%); and of low-to-moderate income levels (45%). Okadas were valued mainly because they were fast and readily available. Customers disliked them because they were considered to be unsafe (stated by two-thirds of respondents) and expensive (stated by 43% of respondents). The survey of okada customers in Akure
also revealed customer concerns over safety – 61% felt operators drove too fast and 31% felt they drove too recklessly. Left with few mobility options, many patronize okadas well knowing the significant risks involved.
, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, showed that injuries to limb the occurred in 79.3% of patients who reported at the emergency department of that hospital. The same study also stated the male: female ratio of accident victims to be around 2.8:1, and identified the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be practically nonexistent among most okada riders.
range from (the typical) snatching of personal effects (e.g. mobile phones, purses, bags) to abduction, grand larceny
, and (political) killings.
Vehicle for hire
thumb|190px|[[Taxicab]]s in [[New York City]]thumb|190px|right|[[Cycle rickshaw|Velotaxi]] in [[New York City]]A vehicle for hire is a vehicle providing shared transportation, which transports one or more passengers between locations of the passengers' choice .Vehicles for hire can be distinguished...
in Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
. The name Okada was borrowed from Okada Air
Okada Air
Okada Air was an airline based in Benin City, Nigeria. The company started doing charter flights in 1979, and started regular operations in 1983...
, a now defunct local airline in Nigeria.
Naming
Okada Air was a local Nigerian airline that was not popular for its comfort, but remained the most used local airline in the country. The name was used as a nickname for the motorcycle transporters, because they could maneuver between the heavy traffic of Lagos and take you to your destination in time, just as Okada Airline did. Because of the comic irony of this name being used for a cyclist and for the popularity of the airline, the name okada for the commercial motorcyclist was never to be forgotten and eventually became as popular as it is now. Many people do not even remember that there was any thing like Okada air any more. Okada began to gain popularity in the late 80s when because of economic difficulties in the last years of the first decade of the Nigerian economic crunch, some jobless youths began to use this age-old transport system for commercial purposes, to transport some stranded but willing passengers through the narrow or bad roads to the far inaccessible parts of the cities or villages. It is one of the chief modes of transport in Nigeria and, by far, the most common form of informal transport system in that country. It is easily affordable for the common man and very flexible. Above all okada is readily available: one can hadly wait too long for an okada to come around, even in the remotest villages they appear at given intervals. There is no road too narrow or a place too remote for Okada. It became for the common man a welcome alternative to the sometimes short but often long walk to-and-fro home after a long journey or a days job - a short trekking under the sun (for example from a commercial car park where the passengers are picked or dropped collectively) that is more tedious and arduous than it looks. For these reasons okada became quickly beloved and did not take long to convince its critics and soon the fears or recentments of the early inception were dissolved into calculable risks that accompany all transportation. The popularity and widespread acceptance of okada has rapidly risen in recent years. It has become a regular means of transportation for the young and old, man or woman. Unfortunately, the rise of okada has been accompanied by increased levels of high-risk behavior and accidents on Nigerian roads; as a result they have come under heavy flak culminating in legislations restricting or prohibiting their operations in some Nigerian cities.The Roles of Okada in the Nigerian Society
Okadas are adapted to contemporary Nigerian society, which is lacking in taxi and bus service, and suffers from congestion, and the poorly maintained roads. They have become a ubiquitous feature of Nigerian cities because of their low cost of purchase and fuel efficiency. However, they are usually more expensive for consumers than public transit.Okadas have thrived during gasoline shortages in Nigeria due to their superior fuel economy to cars. A weak mass transit system has spawned the use of these alternate means of transport. Okadas are also able to navigate and travel roads where no car has gone before - especially true in villages, and urban slums. Okada riding has been described as “a unique experience” by regular passengers and tourists. Okadas are used in cities like Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
by businessmen, government workers, students to overcome traffic congestion.
The Okada Driver and Okada Passenger Profiles
A study carried out in 1993 in YolaYola, Nigeria
Yola is the capital city and administrative center of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Located on the Benue River, it has a population of 88,500 . Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani state until it was taken by the British in 1901. Daytime temperatures can easily exceed during the dry...
, a medium-sized city in the north-eastern state of Adamawa
Adamawa
Adamawa may refer to:*Adamawa Emirate, founded by and named after Modibo Adama*Adamawa Plateau, which rises in Nigeria, cuts across Cameroon, and terminates in the Central African Republic*Adamawa Region, Cameroon*Adamawa State, Nigeria...
, Nigeria, provides additional insight into the nature of the okada business. The study showed that about 88% of the okada riders were aged between 18 and 30 years and only 47% of them received formal education of any form.
The 1993 survey also elicited information from 106 motorcycle users. Customers were generally: male (65%); young adults between 18 and 30 years of age (57%); in possession of a diploma from a secondary school or higher (83%); unemployed but in the job market (59%); and of low-to-moderate income levels (45%). Okadas were valued mainly because they were fast and readily available. Customers disliked them because they were considered to be unsafe (stated by two-thirds of respondents) and expensive (stated by 43% of respondents). The survey of okada customers in Akure
Akure
Akure is a city in the southwestern region of Nigeria, and is the largest city and capital of Ondo State. The city has a population of approximately 387,087...
also revealed customer concerns over safety – 61% felt operators drove too fast and 31% felt they drove too recklessly. Left with few mobility options, many patronize okadas well knowing the significant risks involved.
Accidents
Okadas, like motorcycles elsewhere, have a higher rate of crippling and fatal accidents per unit distance than automobiles. A study conducted in the USA in 2004 showed that While about 15.0 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes, the rate for motorcycles was 69.3 per 100,000. A 1998 study at the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching HospitalObafemi Awolowo University
Obafemi Awolowo University is a government-owned and -operated Nigerian university. The university is in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria...
, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, showed that injuries to limb the occurred in 79.3% of patients who reported at the emergency department of that hospital. The same study also stated the male: female ratio of accident victims to be around 2.8:1, and identified the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) to be practically nonexistent among most okada riders.
Causes
- Given the common incidence and serious consequences of motorcycle accidents, there has been surprisingly little study of their causes. The only major work done on this subject in the USA is the Hurt ReportHurt ReportThe Hurt Report was a motorcycle safety study conducted in the United States, initiated in 1976 and published in 1981. The report is named after its primary author, Professor Harry Hurt.Noted motorcycle journalist David L...
, performed around 1980 in the Los Angeles area. One of the central conclusions of the report was this:
The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.
- However, in Nigeria, the reverse may in fact be true – the vast majority of okada riders do not pay attention to road signs and other motorists.
- Other causes of motorcycle accidents involve unlicensed and untrained riders. In some parts of Nigeria, okada riders make their commercial debut after a few hours of training sessions. Underage okada riders are not a rarity on Nigerian roads.
- Drunk or drugged riding.
- Shared-rides involving two or more passengers.
- The poor state of Nigerian roads, which are typically riddled with pot-holes.
- Graft and corruption among the road safety officials, and the Nigeria Police ForceNigeria Police ForceThe Nigeria Police formerly known as the Nigeria Police Force is the national police of Nigeria.-Authority:The Nigeria Police Force is designated by Section 194 of the 1979 constitution as the national police of Nigeria with exclusive jurisdiction throughout the country...
, both of whom are easily induced into condoning traffic misdemeanors when given bribes.
Okada and Crime
The rise of okada has been linked to an increase in the crime rates in cities throughout Nigeria, particularly in the city centers, urban slums and, red light districts. This criminal activitiesCrime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
range from (the typical) snatching of personal effects (e.g. mobile phones, purses, bags) to abduction, grand larceny
Grand Larceny
Grand Larceny is a 1987 thriller film directed by Jeannot Szwarc and starring Marilu Henner, Ian McShane, Omar Sharif and Louis Jourdan.-Plot summary:...
, and (political) killings.
Other Issues
Okadas have been criticized for their roles in causing or exacerbating traffic congestions in the cities where they operate. Cases also occur of gang beatings where okada riders take on offending/innocent motorists during accidents. Fights have been known to flare up in rioting, and setting of vehicles on fire.Further reading
- Solagberu et al., 2006, Motorcycle injuries in a developing country and the vulnerability of riders, passengers, and pedestrians, Journal of Injury Prevention.
- Daan Beekers, 2008, Motorcycle fellowships: security, solidarity and subjectivity among okada riders, chapter 4 of 'Children of a "Fallen House": Lives and Livelihoods of Youth in Nigeria'. MPhil Thesis. Oxford. http://sites.google.com/site/daanbeekers/m-phil-thesis-children-of-a-fallen-house
- The WHO newsletter on road safety, 2004, Road Safety Is No Accident.
- The UK Department for Transport, 2004, In-Depth Study of Motorcycle Accidents.
- US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2001, Fatal Single Vehicle Motorcycle Crashes.
- US National Technical Information Service, 1981, Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures (The Hurt ReportHurt ReportThe Hurt Report was a motorcycle safety study conducted in the United States, initiated in 1976 and published in 1981. The report is named after its primary author, Professor Harry Hurt.Noted motorcycle journalist David L...
).