FCTA to crush impounded vehicles

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), says it will crush some of the over 130 impounded vehicles that failed integrity tests.

Dr Abdulateef Bello, Director, Department of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), stated this after taking journalists around the impounded vehicles in the various offices in Abuja on Monday.

Bello said that the vehicles would be subjected to standard verification for registration, roadworthiness and other checks, adding that those that fall below minimum standards would be crushed.

He also said that the owners of some of the impounded vehicles would face the mobile court and pay penalties in line with the provisions of the law.

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“Some of the vehicles that are here; some of the owners will be made to face mobile courts, that will decide the kind of penalties to be given to them.

“But there are some that definitely will not go back to the road. We are going to invite the owners. We will ask them to pick whatever is valuable in the vehicles, and the vehicles will be crushed,” he said.

The director added that those arrested based on crimes committed in the guise of commercial operations would be handed over to the police for prosecution.

Bello, however, explained that a total of 130 vehicles were impounded in the last two weeks during evening raids.

According to him, most of the vehicles seized were plying the city roads in the guise of commercial businesses, when they were running the city to perpetrate crime.

“So, in the last two weeks under review, we have impounded over 130 vehicles, which we took you around to see.

“The idea is to ensure that we return the city to sanity; to remove all traces of insecurity and then to ensure seamless traffic flow in the capital city.

“This is an assignment that we have taken upon ourselves in line with the vision of the current administration, to guarantee zero tolerance for insecurity in the FCT.

The director said that the operations would continue until all substandard vehicles being used for criminality were removed from the city.

Bello also said that the DRTS had substantially reduced the level of criminality associated with “one chance” in the FCT.

He explained that in the last month, DRTS was working to ensure that all taxi operators conduct their businesses in the parks and not on the road.

He advised residents against patronising taxis and other vehicles outside the authorised parks. (NAN)