FCTA reiterates resolve to ban motorcyclist from FCT, crushes 478 motorcycles

Favour Ishember, Abuja

Authorities of the Federal Capital Territory Administration, (FCTA) had reiterated it’s resolve to rid commercial motorcyclists off the City centers of Abuja, as 478 motorcycles were crushed following 2 weeks raid in areas across the FCT.

The Mandate Secretary, Transportation Secretariat, Nya Ubokutom who made this resolve while Addressing newsmen while the seized motorcycles were being crushed at Area 1 roundabout, explained that the Administration’s desire to develop a smart city devoid of all sorts of pollution cannot be achieved if illegalities are allowed to pervade the Federal Capital City.

In the words of the Secretary:”It is unfortunate that we don’t obey the laws because this is a product of lawlessness if people obey the law this action wouldn’t have happened.

“We are here to carry out what has been adjudicated for and approved by the law. Our mandate is to deliver a smart city and we are poised to deliver on that mandate of making Abuja a smart city,  clean in air quality and safe for habitation and transportation, and also make it affordable, but we cannot allow residents to take laws into their hands.

“There are areas designated for different kinds of vehicles. Motorcycles are designated to the outskirts in the area councils, so we encourage operators to respect that because if you cross that line the full wrath of the law will be visited on violators.

” Today is a consummation of that act and to warn that the full weight of the law will be visited on violators. If you infringe on safety, you infringe on traffic safety, the full wrath of the law will be visited on you” he warned.

Earlier, the Director, FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services, Abdulateef Bello said apart from the city centre, commercial motorcyclists are not allowed to operate on any of the territory’s highways noting that the administration is determined to rid the entire FCT roads of okada operators

On why the operation was extended to satellite towns including Kubwa, the Director said “We have consistently maintained that commercial motorcycles are not allowed in the Federal Capital City, but of course apart from the city center, our highways are equally not encouraged for commercial motorcycles to ply because of safety and security reasons and that is why we have extended our operations beyond the FCC to other area councils that actually feed the city center”

He advised those investing in commercial motorcycles business to have a rethink as the administration will invest heavy resources to curtail them.

Bello said the FCTA will deepen its operation to nights because, “the number of motorcycles operating the FCC is extremely outrageous. Impounding 200, 300, or 400 on a weekly bases will not address the need. What we are doing now is to intensify our operations with other security agencies to enable us move deeper into this operations by working in the night and removing  them based on intelligence on where they about those motorcycles aside from just chasing them on the road”

“For safety and security reasons people should always make sure that they avoid plying motorcycles within the FCC because as the situation is, we might be arresting people that are equally plying motorcycles”

Over 470 motorcycles were impounded in an exercise that started from the popular car wash bus stop in Lugbe, combing through Gosa, Bill Clinton drive,  Trademore estate, Lugbe junction as well as the Kubwa and it’s environs.