TheCable

The Directorate of Road Traffic Services (DRTS) in the federal capital territory (FCT) has impounded 20 vehicles for operating commercial taxi services within Abuja without permission.

NAN reports that Deborah Osho, DRTS head of operations, announced the development in Abuja on Friday.

Osho said the vehicles were impounded during routine operations to rid the nation’s capital of illegal taxi operators and motor parks.

She said the vehicles were seized around Apo bridge at Area 3 and the federal secretariat, adding that some of the impounded cars were security threats, while others were not roadworthy.

“It’s not that these guys don’t have a place to go, they can enter Eagle Square and pick up their passengers there,” Osho said.

“But they have chosen to do illegal parks or to park their vehicles illegally on this route to pick up passengers.

“Not only that, some of the vehicles as we have witnessed are just not roadworthy, yet they are all plying the city centre and defacing the city.”

Osho said the vehicle owners would be arraigned before a mobile court.

She also said the DRTS would obtain a court order to crush non-roadworthy vehicles that could not be repaired while owners of roadworthy ones would pay a fine for their cars to be released.

Peter Olumuji, secretary of the command and control centre, department of security services in the FCT, said the government is aware of the economic and transportation challenges facing the residents.

Olumuji noted that the safety and security of residents are more important.

“When you allow such to persist, then those who have criminal intentions will capitalise on it to perpetuate crime,” he said.

“If you want to go into commercial taxi services, then there is a platform for you to register at DRTS, and when you do that, nobody will disturb you.

“You cannot be wantonly doing what is wrong and expect the government to close their eyes in the name of ‘the economy is hard’.

“Yes, the economy is hard, but that does not mean that security and safety issues will not be tackled accordingly.”

The FCTA official urged taxi drivers and residents to be cautious of the law and take appropriate measures to avoid finding themselves in unwanted situations.