Malam Mohammed Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has said that all illegal car parks would be closed in order to provide safety.
Bello had stated this while he visited the Headquarters of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), on Friday.
According to him, Abuja has gone beyond the earlier expectations of the plan in the terms of the influx of vehicles, NAN reports.
He said “Criminality has increased just like vehicles have increased in FCT. Therefore, all illegal motor parks will be closed to ensure safety.
“Designated areas for tricycles will be highly restricted. Keke will only be allowed in estates. They will be banned in Asokoro and Life Camp.
“All these are in the laws but they are not being implemented and we would have to start implementing them.
“Advocacy will be carried out. With advocacy, additional pedestrian bridges would be created”.
The Corps Marshal of the FRSC Mr Boboye Oyeyemi, said that color coding of the taxis will help in addressing the issue of one chance robbery.
He made this statement, while presenting the proposal for towards improving road traffic management in the FCT.
“The FCT is one of the international gate-ways to the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As the capital city and seat of power, Abuja is host to foreign missions, international personalities and business interest.
“The political, economic and administrative activities are of strategic importance to the nation which necessitate influx of people with relative increase in road traffic volume.
“The city is currently bedeviled with traffic congestion arising from non compliance to road traffic regulations by some motor vehicle operators as well as other road users.
“FRSC would team up to make Abuja a model. FCT has the highest vehicle registration presently after taking over from Lagos.
“One of the countermeasures is to engage the Unions to paint their taxis to approved FCT colours and fix taxi overhead lamp on vehicles within one week.
“Also engagement of the taxi unions to move to approved designated motor parks within one week.
“Light tow trucks, vehicles, bikes and personnel. Monitoring to ensure compliance would also help to counter this menace”, Oyeyemi said.
Oyeyemi noted that there was need for the commercial vehicles to be painted and carry the taxi sign.
“The proposed plan of action if facilitated, would not only make Abuja city devoid of traffic indiscipline as currently prevalent, but also enhance the aesthetic value of the city”,Oyeyemi said.
