In response to a spike in crimes involving unregistered motorcycle operators, the Oyo State Government has announced stricter enforcement of its QR code jacket policy for commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders.
Chairman of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), Major Adekoya Adesagba (rtd.), made the announcement in Ibadan on Thursday, stating that the government is stepping up both enforcement and public awareness efforts to ensure full compliance.
The directive was further reinforced by the Governor’s Office through the Senior Special Assistant on ICT and E-Governance, Mr. Adebayo Akande, who tasked OYRTMA with intensifying its implementation drive.
Originally introduced in November 2023, the policy mandates all motorcycle and tricycle operators to register under the State Residents’ Registration Scheme and wear QR code-embedded jackets. Despite initial distribution of the jackets for free, compliance has remained low—allowing criminal elements to exploit the system.
Major Adesagba cited several recent crimes involving unidentified riders, including an armed robbery at Bodija Market, where a trader’s earnings were snatched at gunpoint, and another incident at Challenge, where a passenger was robbed by a fake Okada rider.
He also noted that a kidnap attempt was recently foiled along the UI-Agbowo axis after residents alerted authorities about suspicious riders not wearing the mandated jackets.
The government urged all commercial riders to comply promptly, warning that enforcement operations would be ramped up across the state.
