The FCTA , which said it had convicted over 200
motorists since January 2015 for contravening the
law on restriction and designated routes, also
stated that the ban on commercial motorcycles,
mini buses and tricycles, also known as Keke
NAPEP, for transportation was still in force.
The Assistant Director/Head of Mass Transit
(Transportation Secretariat), FCT, Mr. Adewale
Alebiosu, said while some were convicted and
given option of fines, others were sentenced to
different terms of imprisonment at Kuje Prison.
Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja,
Alebiosu said the FCTA had decided to be
security-conscious because of the experience
from the attacks on Nyanya Motor Park by
insurgents.
He said, “In our urban buses, we are installing
‘validators’ and instead of carrying cash, we use
cards. We are also installing security gadgets
because of the security challenges to check bomb
blasts; our experience last year during the
explosion in Nyanya Motor Park is still fresh in
our memory. It is an ongoing exercise and in line
with global best practices.”
According to him, the law on restriction was
slowed down because of the change in
government and the fact that there has been no
substantive minister in the FCT that will ensure
compliance.
Alebiosu said, “Government is a continuum,
people are even misinterpreting the change
mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari. Those
who feel they can flout the law because
government has changed hands should have a
rethink. The change mantra is for good. We do
not just arrest alone, we also prosecute. This year
alone, over 200 offenders are in Kuje Prison
serving some terms of imprisonment.
“If you are in Abuja, you will see taskforce
consisting of police, soldiers, customs and
immigration. By the time you are arrested and you
prove stubborn, you will first of all be carried to a
mobile court and when you have been sentenced
to imprisonment, you are immediately carried to
Kuje Prison.
“That law was slowed down because of change in
government and there is no substantive minister
in FCT that will ensure compliance because it
requires political will and funding. The minister is
also supposed to be talking on the consequences
of not complying with the law on restricted
routes.
“Mini buses are not supposed to be in the town;
once you are caught, you will be carried to the
mobile court to face instant trial. Unlicensed
coastal buses are not supposed to operate in the
town. If you have a high capacity taxi but you are
not a licensed operator, you will be arrested. Full
legal procedures are followed and if you are
sentenced to prison, you can appeal and that is
fair. It is not a jankara court. The sentence could
be two weeks, one month or more.”
Meanwhile, the FCTA has expressed concern over
the increasing disregard for the FCT traffic rules
and regulations by motorists leading to incessant
clashes with officers of the road traffic services
and law enforcement agents.
A statement by the Head of Public Relations in its
Transportation Secretariat, Mr. Ifeanyi Ughamadu,
said the recent protest by taxi drivers in the FCT,
demanding the scrapping of the Directorate of
Road Traffic Services over alleged
highhandedness amounted to sheer ignorance of
the FCT Road Traffic Act, Cap 548, Laws of the
Federation of Nigeria (1990).
According to him, the rules and regulations of
government have not ceased to regulate the
traffic operation in Abuja.
He said, “The FCTA had created bus terminals,
taxi ranks and bus stops at designated points
across the city for bus and taxi operators to pick
up and discharge their passengers and will not
fold its arms and watch these operators flout the
rules with impunity.
“The officers of the road traffic services and law
enforcement agents have been mandated to
strictly enforce all the FCT traffic rules and
regulations for the safety and security of the FCT
residents. We therefore call for the understanding
and cooperation of all road users in our efforts to
achieve a seamless flow of traffic and make the
FCT a liveable place for all.”
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