FCTA impounds 19,437 vehicles in 2013

Ivoke added that following the ban on the use of mini buses in Abuja metropolis, 258 buses have been impounded and fined for various violations since June.
Engr. Ivoke who made this known while addressing newsmen in Abuja about the activities of his department, said 580 traffic offenders were arraigned between January and November 2013 out of which 564 were convicted and paid fines.
On vehicle registration, he stated that 95,234 private vehicles and 9,340 commercial vehicles totalling 104,574 vehicles, were registered in FCT, adding that 28,141 driver’s licenses have been issued between January and November.
The Directorate of Road Transport Services (DRTS) was instructed to remove all vehicles abandoned on the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) highways.
Engr. Jonathan Ivoke on December 19, 2013 ordered the director of DRTS, Mr Rotimi Alade, to remove all carcasses of disused vehicles in Abuja within one week.
City News observed yesterday that such vehicles were still found on the highways.
Our reporter who drove along the AYA-Nyanya highway reported that a long vehicle that crushed motorists at a point called Kugbo a couple of years ago was still at the place of the accident.
Also, shortly after Karu bridge, a truck with Dangote Group’s emblem that crashed for over three months was still there.
The transport secretary had directed: “Any vehicle abandoned by the roadside should be towed away. I give you one week.”
When questioned about the abandoned kerbs along AYA-Nyanya road, the secretary asked the Director of Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) and Transport Regulation, Mr Wilson Unougu to answer.
Unougu said the kerbs are not abandoned. The problem with them, he explained, is that they were made to be filled with sand and that has proved to be ineffective, adding that “now, the contractor is to bring new ones configured to be filled with concrete to make them heavier.”
He said the kerbs were imported for demarcation of the BRT lane but most of them have been crushed by motorists rendering them useless.
The kerbs are now left on the highway around Mogadishu Barracks and Karu bridge sections of the highway.
Similarly, on why DRTS officials still do manual checking of vehicle particulars after forcing motorists to do e-coding, the Director of DRTS Mr Rotimi Alade who was directed to respond, admitted that the system has failed, saying that manual checking is necessary for a number of reasons.
The transport secretary affirmed the commitment of the FCT Administration to complete the multi-billion naira Abuja rail project by 2015 as promised by the FCT Minister, Bala Mohammed.
According to him, the Abuja rail is a priority project of the Federal Government because it is needed to serve the daily increase in the number of people coming  into Abuja.
The railway is being constructed through a $500 million Chinese soft loan.
On some reported nefarious activities of parking concessionaires, the secretary appealed to motorists to be patient because the FCTA is reviewing its performances and will weed out those that performed below expectation.
The secretary said at present, 106 intersections have been fully signalized with traffic light, adding that 20 new intersections are currently undergoing same.
The secretary recalled that the FCT Administration recently signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chinese government for additional 74 intersections.