As I See It: Okada riders the menacing madness

I had been secretly praying in church and during my quiet time, while also swearing badly  sometimes loudly and at other times under my breath  that an okada rider would hit an official of government such that it would prompt a swift and decisive action on this madness that has taken over our streets.
I had not wished for death  that would have been cruel of me – nor of any permanent damage to human life or well being  but I had wished for substantial collateral damage that would warrant serious attention.
I was disappointed when an Okada rider hit no less a person than the President and the only thing I can find out to date is that he was given the beating of his life.
For me this is not enough. This should have been an opportunity for the menacing madness to be addressed once and for all.
With the advent of Okada riders all traffic rules have gone haywire. There is no one way street anymore, Okada riders flout this with impunity  I say so because even the traffic police officers ignore them when they see them going down a one way street.
Infact when a traffic police stops traffic flowing from one end to allow traffic from another end the Okada riders do not stop they continue and the traffic police do nothing.
For Savage Street as one of many examples of a one way street this has become the norm that during the day and at night Okada riders drive against the flow of traffic, and as they go unpunished this has encouraged the taxi drivers to take the chance and follow suit. As early as 8 pm you find taxis driving against the flow of traffic on Savage Street. Indeed if they are caught, which is very rare a few Leones change hands and it is over. But as no effort is being made to correct these blatant violations of traffic law so it is that the indiscipline on the streets deepen and spread to other areas of our society. Indiscipline is infectious in my view.
On August 4, 1971 when the traffic was changed to Left hand we were taught in school that when you want to cross you must look left, look right and look left again before you cross. These days when crossing we pay less attention to the cars rather you look out for Okadas. If you are crossing on a zebra the cars would almost certainly wait for you but not the Okadas and when they miss hitting you it is followed by a foul mouthed tirade against you.
Again in 1971 drivers were taught that you should only overtake on the left hand side. Not these days. Okadas overtake on the left and right and even when you are signalling to turn into a side street they cut infront of you and swivel to the other end. They cut into traffic in the most annoying way. For example they come in overtaking from your right and when they get infront they cross over to the left. They do not recognise ‘trafficators’ even if they see them they ignore them – for them it is rubbish.
Again for the Okada riders a new lane has been developed which is in the middle of the road between the two opposite flows of traffic. When traffic on the incoming lane stops they go into the middle of the road forcing you on the outgoing lane to move to the side and even ride on top of the kerb just to avoid hitting them. And what is most disheartening is that the police bike riders do the same thing. So who should correct who, or is it that the police have changed the traffic rules all by themselves to suit or rather give credence to the madness that is raging through our streets.
I cannot end by mentioning the reckless speed with which the okada riders drive through the streets. This has resulted in countless injuries to civilians. The statistics at the emergency hospital are so great that at a time the doctors say they were not going to treat any one with injuries from an okada accident. Even though the police were privy to these statistics their duty to save lives and property was not followed through in this case.
This is why I had thought that when the okada unfortunately or fortunately hit the President’s car while he was in it this would have triggered a robust addressing of this menace. But as it seems nothing whatsoever other than the beating was seen fit for this action. It did not dawn on the officials that this indicates the depth of indiscipline that now characterises this nation. It did not open their eyes to see that Okada riders have no respect for law and order. If an okada rider seeing the security detail surrounding the President can purpose in his mind that he can drive through all of that in blatant disregard for any form of law or order then one wonders what law do they subscribe to or what can they not do.
There is shouting all over the place about attitude change but I submit that if there is no respect for law and order there will be no attitude change. When one enters any foreign country the first evidence of law and order is the civility which is exercised by drivers in traffic as he or she is being driven from the airport to their hotel. In Sierra Leone it would not be long for visitors to classify this country as lawless minutes after arriving because of the misbehaviour of okada riders who are a law unto themselves followed by taxi drivers who equally have a blatant disregard for the traffic rules.
This is why I write this piece a disappointed man that an okada rider can hit the Presidents car and the only outcome is severe beating, not even jail. Indeed where or to whom should we now turn for action in the redemption of our beloved Sierra Leone?
By Kelvin Lewis