Abuja Transport Authority Threatens Shutdown, Orders Operators to Bus Terminals

The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) in Abuja has issued a stern warning to commercial transport operators, demanding their immediate relocation to designated bus terminals. Those continuing to operate from illegal parks and roadside locations face the prospect of their operations being shut down and their vehicles impounded.

Mr. Chinedum Elechi, Mandate Secretary of the FCTA Transportation Secretariat, emphasized that all unauthorized loading points will be closed. This crackdown is in direct response to a directive from FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, aimed at restoring order, decency, and security to Nigeria's capital. Elechi stressed that Abuja, as the nation's capital, must maintain standards comparable to global cities like London or Paris, highlighting that a functional public transportation system is fundamental to a modern city.

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The Federal Capital City is the capital of Nigeria, just like London is to the UK or Paris to France. Our capital cannot be different. At the root of decency and a modern city is a functional public transportation system. The days of everybody doing what they like in the FCT are over.

The FCTA has invested billions of Naira in developing ultra-modern terminals in Mabushi, Kugbo, and the Central Business District. These facilities represent the first of their kind in the FCT's 50-year history. Centralizing transit operations is seen as crucial not only for improving the city's aesthetics and boosting tourism but also for combating criminality, including "one chance" robberies, drug trafficking, and arms smuggling often associated with illegal transit operations.

Elechi cited a recent trial enforcement exercise where illegal products were discovered in impounded vehicles, validating the administration's stance. He assured that proper profiling of operators at official terminals will significantly reduce insecurity. The FCTA has partnered with private operators like Planet Projects under a Public-Private Partnership to manage these terminals efficiently. Elechi dismissed concerns about job losses, framing the move as a relocation from unsafe roadside setups to secure, well-equipped facilities, asserting that no one will lose their livelihood.

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We are not taking food from anybody’s table. We are asking you to leave unsafe, unhealthy roadside locations for modern bus terminals built with government resources. Nobody is going to lose anything.