Commercial motorcycle riders known as “Express” in Katsina State poses a significant menace due to reckless driving, high accident rates, traffic violations, and involvement in violent crime.
Despite bans and restrictions, riders continue to operate carelessly, leading to law enforcement crackdowns.
The riders violate traffic rules through reckless driving, overspeeding, and riding against traffic (one-way), causing frequent, fatal accidents.
Some of these motorcycles are used to perpetrate crimes, and some of the operators are linked to armed robbery or violent clashes.
Motorcycles are frequently used by criminals for quick getaways in robberies, “smash-and-grabs,” and phone snatching due to their ability to maneuver through traffic.
Currently, in Katsina, it is alleged that some riders act as informants or logistics providers for bandits and kidnappers.
Moreover, riders are known for “unwholesome solidarity,” often resorting to jungle justice or lynching motorists and law enforcement officers following accidents.
Due to lack of regulations, these riders violate bans, enter restricted areas with impunity with no one in place to caution or arrest them for violating rules.
Some riders become so reckless because of their link with a police officer, military personnel, or “unknown” personnel sometimes enabling or backing their illicit operations.
While they provide transport, their activities hinder formal transport systems, causing congestion and making roads unsafe for pedestrians and motorists.
The situation remains a major urban challenge, with authorities struggling to balance the need for public safety with the services these riders provide.
Motorcyclists represent roughly 21.6% of vehicles involved in road traffic accidents in Nigeria, second only to private cars.
Other issues with motorcycle riders include over-speeding (accounting for over 55% of accidents), wrong-way riding, disregarding traffic lights, and carrying more than one passenger.
Some riders reportedly use alcohol or performance-enhancing drugs to cope with long hours and harsh weather, further impairing their judgment when on the road.
A significant portion of riders are unlicensed and operate unregistered motorcycles, making it difficult for authorities to track them.
Considering all these ills, the government needs to take a drastic step before this menace becomes a disaster.
So many new riders are coming into Katsina who knows few places and will always ask passengers to describe where they are going because these riders does not know even the most popular places in Katsina town.
It has been alleged that some of these riders are not Nigerians but boys from neighboring countries seeking greener pastures, therefore, if nothing is done urgently to regulate the use of motorcycle in Katsina State, riders will soon become a hard bone to crush for the government.