FCT EXCO MOVES TO BAN COMMERCIAL MOTORCYCLES IN FCC

…SETS-UP TEAM ON IMPROVED MASS TRANSIT SERVICES

Favour Ishember, Abuja

To meet the goals of providing effective and efficient Mass transportation services to the residents of the Federal Capital, the FCT Executive Committee (EXCO), has approved the setting up of a Ministerial Technical Task Team to work -out the modalities for the resuscitation of the Abuja Urban Mass Transport Company Limited (AUMTCO).

This decision was taken during the FCT Executive Committee Meeting in Gwarinpa I District. Hence, the EXCO directed that the Transport company should be resuscitated to meet the goals of providing effective and efficient Mass transportation services to the residents of the Federal Capital Territory in line with the target it was set up to achieve.

, The FCT Minister, Mallam Muhammad Musa Bello, who spoke during the meeting, challenged the technical team drawn from the Transportation Secretariat, Legal Services Secretariat, Department of Treasury, Abuja Investment Company Limited, and Abuja Infrastructure Investment Centre to ensure that, AUMTCO is revived to deliver World Class, affordable and reliable bus mass transit system for the Federal Capital Territory.

Bello stressed that the FCT Administration must work effectively to enforce the already banned commercial motorcycle (Okada) operations in the Federal Capital City, Abuja.

EXCO further approved the strengthening of the Joint Task Force comprising the security Agencies and stakeholder Departments of the FCTA to support the Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS).

Accordingly, EXCO endorsed the pilot census scheme of commercial motorcycle operators in the Federal Capital Territory for the purpose of building a database that is imperative for security profiling.

Most importantly, the EXCO noted the fallout of social issues that would arise as a result of the implementation of its decision and therefore, directed that the Transportation Secretariat to collaborate with the Social Development Secretariat and the Abuja Enterprises Agency (AEA), to come up with a programme on skills acquisition for operators of commercial motorcycles willing to take up a new trade. The meeting chaired by the FCT Minister, , has critical stakeholders in attendance.