The Federal Capital Territory Administration Transportation Secretariat, has directed licensed taxi and terminal operators to withdraw all the touts they stationed along the roads that harass motorists and other road users.
The Acting Secretary of the Secretariat, Malam Usman Yahaya, gave the directive in a statement issued by the Deputy Director, Information of the Secretariat, Mr Ughamadu Ifeanyi, on Tuesday, in Abuja.
Yahaya also directed them to stop using highways as their parks; desists from picking passengers on the fast lanes of the express ways, stop driving against traffic and beating traffic lights.
He said that the secretariat was disturbed by the apparent lawless attitudes exhibited by some of the licensed taxi and terminal operators, who use touts to harass motorists along the FCT roads and highways.
He warned that the secretariat would not hesitate to invoke sanctions as contained in the Provisional Operators License given to them, where any was found to be operating outside the rules of engagement.
On unpainted taxis operating within the city, Yahaya frowned at the collaboration offered them by the licensed operators.
He warned that hence forth, any unpainted or unlicensed taxi operator caught operating taxi services within the city would be forced to register with any of the licensed operators.
According to him, the car will be painted in chosen licensed operators’ official colour code at his own expense.
He reemphasised that it was illegal to operate public transport services in the FCT without obtaining operator’s license from the secretariat.
” Just as courier service providers, all online transport operators are required to key into FCTA operator’s license platform in order to operate lawfully within the territory,” he said.
Yahaya stressed that all licensed transport operators were free to use any of the terminals and taxi ranks belonging to the FCT Administration without hindrance.
The Acting Secretary, therefore, called on motorists and pedestrians to use such taxi ranks and terminals for passenger embankment and dismemberment activities.
He assured the residents that the secretariat would not allow acts of hooliganism in the guise of unionism in and out of all our terminals.
Yahaya said that Abuja was a city established by laws and its laws concerning road transportation and other related matters must be respected and obeyed. (NAN)
