FCTA mulls total ban on okada in Abuja

FAVOUR ISHEMBER, Abuja

Consequence to the serious security threats activities of commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration has considered a total ban in the nation’s capital city.

Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), Abdullahi Adamu Candido who gave gave this hint yesterday while inspecting transportation facilities in Abuja, urged investors to put their monies into other ventures that were profitable and do not constitute security threats to the society.

“Like I said, we would discourage people from using their hard earned money in purchase of motorcycles. There shouldn’t be any reason to buy Okada, we will discourage people from investing in okada. When you buy Okada and nobody is taking it from you, then they will stop buying”, he advised.

“But it is going to be approached with all sense of responsibility so that nobody feels any pinch”. He assured. According to the Secretary, the FCTA was considering to start conducting drug test on drivers to ensure that only those who were mentally and psychologically sound were permitted to ply Abuja roads.

He also expressed desire of the FCT Administration to takeover the running of its Computerised Vehicle Inspection Centres from the technical partners, insisting that all vehicles on Abuja roads must be roadworthy.

“We intend to get permission of the FCTA to take holistic role of its usage, because citizens must live a life. We will not like a life to be lost as a result of someone’s carelessness.

“We are trying to ensure that drug test is considered by the authorities for all road users, especially for commercial road users, for vehicles, tricycle and okada.

“We will not wait until lives are endlessly lost before we take action. So we are taking action in order to ensure the city is safe for the citizens”.

Candido stated this and added that the Administration was determined to ensuring citizens had value for money.

Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Abdullateef Bello who conducted the Secretary on the inspection revealed that over 1000 confiscated motorcycles would be crushed.

Bello however stated that all necessary legal instruments would be done and the number of the motorcycles gazetted before finally crushing them.

He also stated that the Administration was working towards January 2023 commencement of enforcement of regulations on dispatch riders, regretting that, like okada, dispatch riders were also becoming a security challenge.

For a better society