Illegal Parks: FCTA Arrests Vehicles, Motorcycle

In order to curb the challenges of insecurity (one chance), illegal motor parks, traffic congestion and getting rid of criminal elements in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital territory.

Authority of the Nigerian Federal Capital Territory Administration, FCTA, has arrested 19 commercial vehicles and 1 commercial motorcycle operating illegally within the city.

The vehicles that were arrested by the FCT joint taskforce team were illegally picking and dropping off passengers along the road corridor, therefore obstructing the free flow of traffic on the road.

The Taskforce team were a combined team of Nigerian Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, and Directorate of Road Traffic Services, FCT VIO.

The team was constituted to rid the city of illegal motor parks that were created by illegal taxi drivers, which aid all forms of criminality in the territory.

Speaking after the exercise, the Head of Operations with Directorate of Road Transport Services, Mrs Deborah Osho, decried the traffic congestion on the road that was caused by illegal commercial taxi drivers.

“The taskforce team that was constituted by FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, is clearing the road corridor on the popular Banex road, Wuse II, that was taken over by illegal commercial taxis. The illegal commercial taxis took over over 50% of the road corridor picking and dropping  passengers. Meanwhile, there is an approved park where they can pick and drop their passengers but they don’t use it, most of them prefer to use the road corridor therefore blocking the free flow of traffic on banex road.”

On sustainability, she said, “This exercise  is continuous. Once we enforce, we clear, and then we pin down continuously.

“This will curb the challenges of insecurity(one chance) in this area, it will also address the issue of illegal commercial taxis, this will also clean the city and make Abuja safe, especially during this yultide period.”

On how many vehicles were arrested, she said, “About 19 vehicles have been arrested this morning along Banex road and one commercial motor cycle. This is a continuous exercise until until the city is rid of illegal parks. ”

Also, the secretary of command and control, Dr Peter Olumiji, said the exercise will help to get rid of one chance manace in Abuja.

He said, “This joint exercise that we commenced today has two faces, number 1 to clear illegal park of criminal elements that runs these one chance taxis, and to also clear the parks of sales and trafficking of illegal drugs, they use the opportunity of illegal  parks to transact their businesses. One chance is done at illegal parks, and they use unpainted vehicles.”

Shakirat Sadiq