Okada's are motorbikes for hire just like a taxi or micro buses of Cairo.
Okadas' have grown exponentially in Lagos in recent years. Owning and running this service comes with a reasonable revenue and little costs. It is cheap to buy a motorbike. Filling up with petrol is very cheap. It costs very little to register a motorbike. It is not regulated; the money you earn is not taxable and insurance is unheard of. A successful set up to earn money and be self employed.
The only regulations okadas follow are traffic related. The helmet is mandatory however it is not standardized. You see all colors and types. Sometimes it is a safety hat; sometimes its a bicycle helmet, sometimes it is an old army helmet and the funniest are those who wear their helmet back to front, a fashion statement perhaps.
Today while waiting at the traffic light; there were more than 100 Okadas swirling around the cars in the traffic. As soon as the light hit green, a sea of human beings on two wheels zooms ahead and the noise beats a thunderstorm.
Okadas' have grown exponentially in Lagos in recent years. Owning and running this service comes with a reasonable revenue and little costs. It is cheap to buy a motorbike. Filling up with petrol is very cheap. It costs very little to register a motorbike. It is not regulated; the money you earn is not taxable and insurance is unheard of. A successful set up to earn money and be self employed.
The only regulations okadas follow are traffic related. The helmet is mandatory however it is not standardized. You see all colors and types. Sometimes it is a safety hat; sometimes its a bicycle helmet, sometimes it is an old army helmet and the funniest are those who wear their helmet back to front, a fashion statement perhaps.
Today while waiting at the traffic light; there were more than 100 Okadas swirling around the cars in the traffic. As soon as the light hit green, a sea of human beings on two wheels zooms ahead and the noise beats a thunderstorm.
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