By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
The Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, on Tuesday crushed 601 impounded motorcycles seized from operators who refuse to obey operational instructions.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Dr. Chinedum Elechi who supervised the crushing exercise said that there is a law that is backing the enforcement of impounding and crushing motorcycles seized from defaulters of operational instructions
in Abuja.
According to Elechi, the Secretariat has existing regulations that back the ongoing enforcement, impounding and crushing of seized motorcycles from offending operators who ignore the law.
He explained that the ongoing enforcement will be sustained because restrictions and ban placed on operations of commercial motorcycles in about 45 locations within Abuja, is still in force.
“As we speak, we are acting under the regulation of the FCT. The most recent regulation, is the law on this subject, and is that of 1st of January 2023.”
” It was signed into law by the immediate past administration of Mohammed Bello as FCT minister. So it’s a law, if you use your motorbike in particular areas it’s against the law.”
The Director, Directorate of Road Traffic Services, ( DRTs), Dr. Abdullateef Bello confirmed that the crushing of the 601 motorcycles, was the first exercise for this year, adding that it would be sustained as a deterrent to the other operators.
However, Bello stated that the ban and restrictions placed on some locations within the Federal Capital City since 2006 was meant to reduce the crime rate in Abuja and also to sanitize the territory.
He stated, ” this exercise has been our usual routine to support the ban, the existing ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in the federal capital city. You will recall that the ban was initiated in 2006. The idea then was that we should be able to control and curtail their traffic abuses in the federal capital city. But as it is today, it’s becoming more of a security threat, you know commercial motorcycles have been used to facilitate crime and criminality in the federal capital city.”
” So we are again using this medium to send messages to those who are still investing in this line of business to think twice because we will continue to push”
Also speaking, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, in Charge of Operation in FCT Command, AC Mode Magawata said the police and other security agencies have been committed to the enforcement which has helped in checking the wave of crime in Abuja.
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