By PHILIP YATAI

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has warned commercial transport operators operating from illegal parks and roadside locations across Abuja to move to the designated bus terminals or be shut down.

The Mandate Secretary, FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, gave the directive during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Elechi warned that all unauthorised loading points would be shut down and non-compliant vehicles impounded without further notice.

He recalled that the administration had earlier directed all transport operators to move to fully operationalise ultra-modern bus terminals, beginning with the facility in Mabushi.

He stressed that the drive to clear the streets of unauthorised motor parks stems from a direct mandate given by the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to bring order, decency, and security to the nation’s capital.

“The Federal Capital City is the capital of Nigeria, just like London is to the UK or Paris to France.

“Our capital cannot be different. At the root of decency and a modern city is a functional public transportation system. The days of everybody doing what they like in the FCT are over,” he said.

The mandate secretary highlighted that the FCTA has invested billions of Naira to construct the ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District (CBD).

This, he said, marks the first time in the FCT’s 50-year history that such state-of-the-art transit hubs have been developed.

Beyond enhancing the city’s aesthetic appeal and boosting tourism, Elechi emphasised that centralising transit operations within official terminals is vital to curbing criminality.

He said that the operation of the bus terminals would particularly address illegal transit operations locally known as “one chance” robberies, alongside drug and arms trafficking.

He revealed that recent trial enforcement operations vindicated the administration’s aggressive stance.

“About two weeks ago, we carried out a trial enforcement and impounded vehicles after issuing quit notices.

“Believe it or not, we discovered highly illegal products inside some of those ad-hoc seizures. What we saw was frightening.

“As such, proper profiling of operators at official terminals will dramatically reduce citywide insecurity,” he said.

To ensure efficient management of the bus terminals, the FCTA has partnered with private operators, including Planet Projects, under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

Elechi dispelled rumors that the government intends to deprive transporters of their livelihoods, clarifying that operators are merely being relocated from hazardous roadside setups into fully equipped, secure facilities.

“We are not taking food from anybody’s table. We are asking you to leave unsafe, unhealthy roadside locations for modern bus terminals built with government resources. Nobody is going to lose anything,” he said.

Expressing frustration over past non-compliance, the mandate secretary noted that despite previous impoundments of more than 100 vehicles—where defaulting drivers were released after signing undertakings—many operators routinely returned to illegal loading spots.

He warned that the secretariat is backed by Order 1 established under President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration and the Transportation Regulations of 2023.

He added that with the regulations, the Transport Secretariat holds full legal authority to license operators, seal unauthorised private premises used as makeshift parks, and confiscate non-compliant vehicles.

“They sign an undertaking, and the next day they are back on the road. It is a cat-and-mouse game, and we are tired of it.

“If you rent private premises or take over any small space and turn it into an illegal motor park, we will seal off the premises, impound your vehicles, and enforce the law to the letter.

“With full backing from the FCT Minister and the Presidency, we will maintain a zero-tolerance policy against illegal transport operations to restore order and safety to Abuja,” he said. (NAN)

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