The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has issued a stern warning to commercial motorcycle and tricycle operators to steer clear of Abuja City centre or face the full wrath of the law.
The Public Relations Officer of DRTS, Mr Kalu Emetu, who spoke to our reporter in an interview said all motorcycles and tricycles impounded for failing to operate within their designated areas would no longer be released to their owners but taken to auto pound for recycling, sequel to the approval of the court.
According to him, the decision of the DRTS had become necessary as the operators have continuously flouted orders restricting their operations in Abuja city.
Emetu also said while impounded tricycles can only be released on the approval of the minister of FCT, rickety taxis which have been evaluated by officials of the DRTS to fall short of road worthiness will be shredded and returned to their respective owners.
“The fate of unpainted and painted taxis that are impounded lies with the court as only the court will decide what happens to each of them.
“The unpainted ones will be required to paint them while they are issued commercial plate numbers and allowed to operate as commercial.
“As for the rickety ones, if we evaluate them to be of certain status which can be repaired to match the standard of FCT vehicle road worthiness, we will require their owners to work on the vehicle’s improvement.
“However, if the vehicle’s status is terribly beyond what we can allow to be on the road, we’ll dismember them and handover the parts to their owners”, Emetu said.
He added that Abuja is a planned city which hopes to be one of the 20 best capital cities of the world in the nearest future.
He, however, advised operators of commercial tricycles and motorcycles to ensure strict compliance with the FCTA directives to operate only at designated areas such as estates and satellite towns as they were never envisaged in the master plan of Abuja transport system.
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