By Ebun Sessou

LAGOS—THE Lagos State House of Assembly has passed into law the road traffic regulations on taxi operations in the state.

The House has also set in motion the move to ban unregistered taxis popularly called ‘kabukabu’ in the state.

Presenting the regulation before the assembly members during the valedictory sitting of the outgoing 7th Assembly, yesterday, Majority Leader of the House, Ajibayo Adeyeye said that the approval of the regulation was long overdue.

Adeyeye reminded the lawmakers that the regulation, as forwarded to the House by the state Ministry of Transportation and handed to the House Committee on Transportation, headed by Bisi Yusuf, will ensure that every taxi cab operator in the state, will obtain a license from the ministry to operate.

Adeyeye noted that the Ministry of Transportation would be empowered to arrest any operator, who does not have a license to operate.

Funmi Tejuosho representing Mushin constituency 1 said that the regulation was necessary as the lives of Lagos residents would not be put at risk.

Also, Deputy Chief Whip of the House, Rotimi Abiru however observed that the definition of cab should be made clear as he said that there were yellow cabs, black and red cabs as well as the private cabs that are operating in Lagos at present.

Responding, the Speaker,  Adeyemi Ikuforiji noted that the Lagos state government already has plans to make the state a megacity.

Ikuforiji noted that any substandard item would not be allowed in the state henceforth.

He said: “In developed countries, you see the kind of taxi cabs that operate, unlike what is obtainable in Lagos State presently. We need to regulate the operations of taxi cabs so that the operators would have access to loans.”