The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has reaffirmed that it retains full legal authority to enforce traffic regulations across Abuja, warning motorists, transport operators and touts against violating existing transportation laws.
The Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Transportation Secretariat, Mr Chinedum Elechi, gave the warning while briefing journalists in Abuja on Thursday, following public reactions to a recent court judgement concerning the Department of Road Transport Services (DRTS).
Elechi clarified that the judgement did not invalidate the FCTA’s statutory responsibility to regulate transportation activities or enforce traffic laws within the Federal Capital Territory.
He explained that while the court considered the legal status of the DRTS as a department, the responsibility for transportation enforcement remains vested in the FCTA under the powers granted by existing laws.
“The enforcement responsibility belongs to the FCTA. Our commitment to ensuring order, safety and compliance on Abuja’s roads remains unchanged,” he said.
The mandate secretary stressed that traffic enforcement in the FCT is carried out through a coordinated multi-agency framework involving the DRTS, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Department of State Services (DSS), the FCT Security Department, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other relevant agencies.
According to him, the collaborative approach strengthens enforcement operations and enhances public safety across the territory.
Elechi urged motorists and commercial transport operators to comply with traffic regulations, warning that attempts to exploit misconceptions arising from the court ruling would attract appropriate legal sanctions.
He also announced that the administration would intensify enforcement against unregistered transport operators, illegal motor parks and touts operating in different parts of the capital city.
The mandate secretary said the exercise would include the deployment of mobile courts to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders in accordance with the law.
He noted that the administration had previously adopted dialogue and public sensitisation to encourage voluntary compliance but said persistent violations had made stricter enforcement necessary.
“As a government, we have engaged stakeholders and encouraged compliance over time. Going forward, the law will be applied firmly against anyone who refuses to operate within the established regulations,” he said.
Elechi added that only transport operators licensed by the FCTA would be permitted to operate from designated terminals, noting that the development of modern bus terminals was aimed at promoting safer, more organised and efficient public transportation.
He warned that unauthorised loading points and illegal motor parks in areas such as Wuse, Utako and other parts of Abuja would no longer be tolerated.
The mandate secretary disclosed that the FCTA had previously impounded more than 100 vehicles during enforcement operations but released them after appeals from operators.
He, however, stated that future violations would attract the full weight of the law.
Citing the Federal Capital Territory Establishment (Dissolution) Order No. 1 of 2004 and the FCT Road Transport Regulations 2023, Elechi said the legal framework empowers the administration to impound vehicles, seal illegal premises and prosecute offenders through mobile courts.
He reaffirmed the FCTA’s commitment to implementing the regulations fairly and professionally as part of ongoing efforts to improve road safety, promote orderly transportation and sustain Abuja’s status as a modern, secure and well-planned capital city.
