METRO FCTA impounds 499 vehicles, tricycles, bikes in 1 month

By Stanley Onyekwere

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has disclosed the impoundment of no fewer than four hundred and ninety-nine vehicles, tricycles motorcycles within the last one month, for various traffic violations.

A breakdown of the confiscation revealed that there were total number of 233 vehicles, 113 tricycles, and 153 motorcycles, including those used for dispatch riding, which hitherto operated within the Federal Capital City (FCC), from where they were impounded and kept across five commands of the FCT Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS).

It was gathered that they were confiscated for various traffic offences, ranging from no roadworthiness, recovered stolen vehicles, illegal car marts, accidents, unpainted taxes to route violations amongst others.

Briefing newsmen yesterday, after an assesment tour that took off from the DRTS Headquarters to Mabushi, AYA, Berger, Jabi and Wuye Area Commands respectively, DRTS Director, Dr. Abdul-Lateef Bello, said the confiscation was as a result of its outings within the month under review, specifically between the month of May and first two weeks of this month, aimed at ensuring that there is traffic sanity in Abuja, the FCC in particular.

Bello noted that owners of the impounded automobiles will be made to face the FCT Mobile Court, for penalty, as the DRTS don’t have the power to penalise them, adding that the court will do justice.

According to him: “For most cases, for us to embark on any enforcement or impoundment, we used to have constructive engagement with the stakeholders involved, reminding them of the rules and regulations guilding traffic management in the FCT.

“We will continue to this regularly, to keep the city in check in terms of traffic management.

“The fact that the Federal Capital City provides that viable benefit for commercial vehicles (taxis) for the fact that the population is here, but we feel that people should understand and respect simple traffic regulations.

“Agree that FCT is still a work in progress, and there are somehow, transportation infrastructural deficiency, but it is not an excuse to break the law particularly in the FCC, which is so much organised.

“We will continue to be on top of our game, to ensure we regulate their activities and impound those that are recalcitrant and consistently breaking our laws”.