FCT installs security gadgets on urban buses

 

One year after two attacks on Nyanya Motor Park by terrorists, the Federal Capital Territory Administration has commenced the installation of security gadgets on all its urban buses to forestall similar attacks in future.

The FCTA , which said it had convicted over 200 motorists since January 2015 for contravening the law on restriction and designated routes, also stated that the ban on commercial motorcycles, mini buses and tricycles, also known as Keke NAPEP, for transportation was still in force.

The Assistant Director/Head of Mass Transit (Transportation Secretariat), FCT, Mr. Adewale Alebiosu, said while some were convicted and given option of fines, others were sentenced to different terms of imprisonment at Kuje Prison.

Speaking with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja, Alebiosu said the FCTA had decided to be security-conscious because of the experience from the attacks on Nyanya Motor Park by insurgents.

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He said, “In our urban buses, we are installing ‘validators’ and instead of carrying cash, we use cards. We are also installing security gadgets because of the security challenges to check bomb blasts; our experience last year during the explosion in Nyanya Motor Park is still fresh in our memory. It is an ongoing exercise and in line with global best practices.”

According to him, the law on restriction was slowed down because of the change in government and the fact that there has been no substantive minister in the FCT that will ensure compliance.

Alebiosu said, “Government is a continuum, people are even misinterpreting the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari. Those who feel they can flout the law because government has changed hands should have a rethink. The change mantra is for good. We do not just arrest alone, we also prosecute. This year alone, over 200 offenders are in Kuje Prison serving some terms of imprisonment.

“If you are in Abuja, you will see taskforce consisting of police, soldiers, customs and immigration. By the time you are arrested and you prove stubborn, you will first of all be carried to a mobile court and when you have been sentenced to imprisonment, you are immediately carried to Kuje Prison.

“That law was slowed down because of change in government and there is no substantive minister in FCT that will ensure compliance because it requires political will and funding. The minister is also supposed to be talking on the consequences of not complying with the law on restricted routes.

“Mini buses are not supposed to be in the town; once you are caught, you will be carried to the mobile court to face instant trial. Unlicensed coastal buses are not supposed to operate in the town. If you have a high capacity taxi but you are not a licensed operator, you will be arrested. Full legal procedures are followed and if you are sentenced to prison, you can appeal and that is fair. It is not a jankara court. The sentence could be two weeks, one month or more.”

Meanwhile, the FCTA has expressed concern over the increasing disregard for the FCT traffic rules and regulations by motorists leading to incessant clashes with officers of the road traffic services and law enforcement agents.

A statement by the Head of Public Relations in its Transportation Secretariat, Mr. Ifeanyi Ughamadu, said the recent protest by taxi drivers in the FCT, demanding the scrapping of the Directorate of Road Traffic Services over alleged highhandedness amounted to sheer ignorance of the FCT Road Traffic Act, Cap 548, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (1990).

According to him, the rules and regulations of government have not ceased to regulate the traffic operation in Abuja.

He said, “The FCTA had created bus terminals, taxi ranks and bus stops at designated points across the city for bus and taxi operators to pick up and discharge their passengers and will not fold its arms and watch these operators flout the rules with impunity.

“The officers of the road traffic services and law enforcement agents have been mandated to strictly enforce all the FCT traffic rules and regulations for the safety and security of the FCT residents. We therefore call for the understanding and cooperation of all road users in our efforts to achieve a seamless flow of traffic and make the FCT a liveable place for all.”