Background: This research aimed at determining the association between the ban of commercial motorcycle operations and the reduction in the rate of road traffic accidents in Yenagoa metropolis of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Methods: A retrospective comparative cross-sectional study comparing the number of road traffic accidents that occurred one year before the ban of commercial motorcycle operations ( 1st August 2011 – 31st July 2012) and one year after the ban of commercial motorcycle operations (1st September 2012 – 31st August 2013) within the Yenagoa metropolis of Bayelsa. This data was gotten from the orthopaedics unit of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa Results: Put together, one year before the ban of commercial motorcycle operations within the Yenagoa metropolis of Bayelsa State, a total of 463 cases of road traffic accidents were recorded and only 111 cases of road traffic accidents were recorded one year after the ban of their operations within the Yenagoa metropolis. A statistically significant association using the student’s t-test, (p< 0.05) was however gotten when the number of road traffic accidents before the ban was compared with the number after the ban. Conclusion: The ban of commercial motorcycles within the Yenagoa metropolis of Bayelsa State was a good decision which yielded positive results by bringing about a significant reduction in the number of road traffic accidents experienced. However, we recommend further reinforcement of road traffic laws within the Yenagoa metropolis in order to ensure the barest minimum occurrence of road traffic accidents as well as provision of jobs for those rendered jobless after the ban of commercial motorcycles in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
