A few states have banned okada. Do you have any plans to do same?
I think it’s, for me, a class issue and I belong to the working class, so I cannot ban Okada. First, I believe that okada is a response to certain deficit in our intra-urban transportation system. From the 60s to the 70s to the 80s, we never had okada. I
f you ask a lady to take a ride on a motorbike it was like a taboo. Now it has became fashionable to have a woman and two children on top of a bike. It is not a culture choice. It is as a result of deficit in our intra-city transportation system.
If I must get rid of them, I should provide an alternative first. For me, the way to deal with it is to deal with the supply side. By this I mean, provide good city transportation, then people would have to choose among a taxi that is available, a comfortable and clean bus that is available, and an Okada.
People would now choose what will offer them more comfort. So, it is the result of certain weaknesses in our transportation system, and I think it can only be solved by dealing with those weaknesses. I cannot use state power to prohibit Okada. I am not sure of the legal status of doing that.
