Owners of impounded vehicles, tricycles, motorcycles will be punished -FCTA

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says it will prosecute the owners of 149 impounded vehicles, 100 tricycles, and motorcycles in the FCT for traffic violations.

Owners of 149 impounded vehicles, 100 tricycles and motorcycles in the FCT will appeared before a mobile court for various traffic offences.

Dr Abdulateef Bello, the Director, FCTA Directorate of Road Traffic Services, also known as Vehicles Inspection Officers (VIO), stated this in Abuja on Friday, after inspecting the impounded vehicles.

Bello, who visited some of the VIO Commands where the impounded vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles were kept, said that the owners would pay dearly for their sins.

He explained that the offences included parking in unauthorised areas, driving against traffic, and operating unregistered and unpainted taxis as well as illegal motor parks.

“I always advise that it is cheaper to be on the side of the law to obey simple rules and regulations.

“We have asked commercial motorists to register and operate within the defined routes and motor parks and not to pick indiscriminately from the road corridors.

“We have also told the tricycle operators to operate within the confines of the road plan, already agreed upon.

“They are not supposed to come into the city. They are supposed to transport people that are going into estates and towards suburbs of the city,” he said.

He said that traffic regulations had been reviewed, adding that fines would equally be reviewed upward.

He said that traffic offenders would pay hugely when they face mobile court, “but I am sure it will serve as a deterrence”.

The director said that the directorate was working with the Transport Secretariat of the Federal Capital Territory Administration to review existing road traffic policies on traffic management.

This, according to him, will ensure effective regulation of road traffic management.

He noted that until the Abuja Mass Transit become fully operational to meet the needs of commuters, the directorate would continue to battle with unregistered vehicles operating illegally in the city.

“This is because it is a function of demand and supply, but I am sure in no distant time, all these will be a thing of the past,” he said.