Move to bus terminals or be shut down –FCTA tells transport operators
… To build more terminals, eliminate illegal parks
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
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.
This is just a the administration said it would construct additional modern bus and taxi terminals across Abuja to eliminate illegal motor parks, enhance passenger safety and further modernise the nation’s capital.
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 stemmed 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 had invested billions of naira to construct the ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo and the Central Business District (CBD).
This, he said, marked the first time in the FCT’s 50-year history that such state-of-the-art transit hubs had been developed.
“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.
Mr. Elechi reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to transforming the FCT into a world-class city through ongoing transport projects and future budgetary provisions for additional terminals.
He addressed concerns over the reliance on informal loading points, including Berger and Area 1 roundabouts, saying the shift to centralised terminals was necessary for security, orderliness and efficiency.
“We are building these in strategic locations. The terminals in Kugbo and Mabushi are purely designed for intercity travel. Whether a passenger is traveling to Aba, Lokoja, Owerri, or Sokoto, they need a safe, secure, and comfortable environment to board.
“You cannot guarantee what happens when you board a bus at an ad-hoc arrangement, which has contributed to the ‘one-chance’ security challenges,” he said.
