The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS), Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said that it resolved to crush impounded motorbikes and tricycles in the FCT because other penalties have not been yielding the desired results.
The spokesman of the service, Mr Kalu Emetu, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Abuja.
He said that it had become imperative because the payment of fines or other lesser punishments was no longer yielding the desired result.
Emetu said that the ban on the use of motorcycles popularly called ‘Okada’, even before the coming of tricycles from operating in the city centre commenced way back in 2006.
He said they were only allowed to operate in the area councils as well as in the suburbs within the territory.
“However, in spite of restrictions, you still see so many of them operating within the restricted areas. All these and others clearly showed flagrant violations of traffic rules and regulations.
“Now, when they come into the city centre and we impound their bikes, some of them will only laugh at you, meaning that they will still repeat the same thing.
“Most times, to our surprise the following day, you will still see the same person whose motorbike or tricycle was impounded the previous day with another one operating in the same place,” he said.
The spokesman said that all these behaviours by the operators forced the Service and the Federal Capital Territory Administration to crush the items when impounded.
“You begin to wonder whether it is money they use in buying them. At a time we were arresting them and after some time we gave them back.
“But after a while, we realised that the same people would still come back to the same spot to operate. So, coming up with an option of a stiffer penalty is the way to go,“ he said.
Emetu explained that even before the crushing of the motorcycles, the service would have approached the court to obtain an order of forfeiture which empowers them to do so.
“So, it is left for the government to decide what to do with the property.
“But normally, what we do at DRTS is to recycle them and put them into other purposes that will benefit Nigerians especially, FCT residents,“ he said. (NAN)
